To Find a Purpose in Death
by Bruuz
Summary: Follow Ichigo's journey as a Hollow in Hueco Mundo with no memories of his previous life. Watch him as he struggles to choose between his loyalty to a man who's goals are unknown and between doing what he believes is the right thing to do. Ichi/Nel.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach.

**Prologue.**

Urahara sat in his underground basement quietly thinking about what exactly he had just witnessed. His plan to help Kurosaki Ichigo regain his Shinigami powers had just backfired horribly. He still found it hard to believe he had made such a grave mistake. He always silently praised himself for possessing rather above average intelligence. Yet somehow he must've miscalculated somewhere. Either that or he severely overestimated Isshin's son.

Still, he didn't think the blame was his to be taken entirely. The first 'lesson' to regain Ichigo's Shinigami powers had been a succes. He regained his reiryoku without too much trouble at all and if his attitude towards regaining the rest of his powers was anything to go by it definitely meant he wanted to continue. Even so, perhaps he should've been a bit more clear about the actual objective and above all the risks of the second 'lesson'. Regaining his reiryoku wasn't too hard, it was a simple do or don't. He would've either regained his reiryoku by dodging Ururu's punch or he would've died by failing to dodge, that was all there was to it.

The second 'lesson' on the other hand entailed a lot more factors then simply do or don't. If it were only a matter of live or die it wouldn't be such a problem no. He was confident Isshin's son would gladly give his life to save any of his friends that's one thing he didn't need to be convinced of. But to become a Hollow, the one thing he'd been fighting for the past months together with the Shinigami Kuchiki Rukia, no he should've given Isshin's son a choice he realised now. To be turned into a Hollow is without a doubt the worst fate imagineable, for a Shinigami especially. Losing your own free will and be forever subjected to eternal hunger. Only those Hollow who manage to evolve far enough would ever get rid of their insatiable hunger.

Yet Urahara knew something was off about Isshin's son after it turned completely into a Hollow. To start off with the Hollow actually talked, albeit to itself but it talked nonetheless. Hollows never kept their personality nor their sanity and above that talking Hollows were unheard of among the lower levels. No Urahara was confident that Hollows hardly ever regained the ability of speech untill they evolved to become Adjuchas. Which brought him to his second point, the reiryoku levels he felt from this particular...Hollow. It was unreal, he was sure no Hollow was supposed to be that powerful just minutes after turning. No this Hollow was more powerful even then perhaps any Adjuchas Urahara had ever encountered, as a matter of fact he was starting to suspect this Hollow was an Adjuchas himself. Yet, that didn't make sense at all. Hollows turned into Gillian when a large amount of Hollow were concentrated in one spot, at times a certain Hollow with a stronger consciousness would stay in control which would allow the Gillian to be able to evolve into an Adjuchas when the time came. Adjuchas level Hollow in turn would always hear the voices of the thousands of Hollow and souls they have consumed before, forced to keep eating or they'll revert back to their Gillian forms permanently. Thinking back to it all he couldn't help but wonder if it truly was his fault?

_[Flashback:]_

_Urahara, Jinta and Ururu stood at the top of the Shattered Shaft silently watching the event that displayed down below the three of them._

_An orange haired boy who had his arms bound behind his back was screaming at the top of his lungs down at the bottom of the shaft. A clear white substance that was leaking from his eyes, nose, ears and mouth slowly trying to form a shape around his head. Yet it was clear the boy was resisting, the question was would it be enough?_

_Urahara held Ururu back from interfering. He thought there was still a possibility for him to regain his Shinigami powers. Normally when a plus turns into a Hollow it explodes and reforms later. The order was entirely messed up this time, the mask already trying to form on the plus's face. A clear sign that he was resisting._

_"Don't interfear untill he turns into a Hollow completely, Ururu, as you can see he is resisting and so there is hope for him yet," Urahara said._

_Yet as he said this the screaming got louder and a clear sign of a mask was starting to form on his face. Slowly but surely a black hole was starting to form on his chest. 'Damn it, have we lost him? Have I just as good as killed your only son Isshin?' _

_Just as Urahara thought this the boy started to tear apart the Kidou spell that kept his arms bound. Was it truly too late? Are we being forced to kill him after all?_

_The question was answered for him before he really got a chance to decide on an answer for himself._

_"This is the limit Manager," Tessai's voice rang out as he looked up to Urahara. Urahara could do nothing more but close his eyes in grief and gave a slight nod, letting Tessai know he understood._

_"Bakudou #99, Number 2 - Bankin," Tessai's voice rang out once more._

_After these words the ground at the bottom of the pit started shaking causing dirt to rise up and obscure both Ichigo and Tessai from view. Before they could wonder what was happening, Tessai's voice rang out from the bottom of the pit again._

_"First song, Shiryuu!"_

_A white cloth like substance erupted from the ground instantly twirling and twisting around Ichigo before finally latching onto his head and body and binding his limbs together completely. Before Ichigo could even get the chance to react to this the voice next to him spoke up again._

_"Second song, Hyakurensan!"_

_As the voice said this a hundred bolts appeared out of nowhere and sped toward him piercing his body from every possible angle and causing him to cry out in pain._

_At the top of the pit Urahara was watching Tessai proceed with the elimination of the Hollow. The son of Kurosaki Isshin. Friend of Kuchiki Rukia who now, would never know just how much Kurosaki Ichigo was willing to give up to rescue his friends._

_Before he could get any further with his thoughts Tessai's final words rang out. The words that would likely end Kurosaki Ichigo's life on this plane of existence. But at the very least he wouldn't have to be subjected to the horrible existence of a Hollow._

_"Final song, Bankin Taihou!"_

_A huge rectangular shaped boulder with all sorts of intricate black markings adorning it's sides appeared in mid-air. It kept hovering there for just a mere couple of seconds, as if letting it's target know it's last moment had arrived, before crashing down into the Shattered Shaft violently causing a huge explosion of yellow light which rocked the entire foundation of the basement they were in._

_As Urahara, Jinta and Ururu opened their eyes again they could barely see anything. Dust obstructing their view on every side. They could just make out Tessai making his way over to join them. Slowly but surely the dust started to clear to reveal, just as they thought, the figure of Tessai standing a couple of yards away from the top of the Shattered Shaft. Yet Urahara felt as if something wasn't right. There was still a faint trace of reiatsu around the basement and when he locked eyes with Tessai he nodded, letting him know he felt it too._

_"Ururu, Jinta, stay back," Urahara said_

_"But shopkeeper-" Jinta started but was instantly cut off._

_"Not now, Jinta! Stay back, he's still around and whatever this is. It is definitely no ordinary Hollow," Urahara finished._

_Glad Jinta decided to leave it at that. He started scanning the area more thoroughly. After barely a couple of seconds though, Tessai walked up to him and motioned for him to follow._

_"He is alive and well it appears Shopkeeper, I believe he is currently standing still behind the rock formation on our right," Tessai whispered._

_He nodded and motioned for him to continue. He wasn't sure why they were being so cautious. Something about this particular Hollow just didn't feel right, the reiatsu he felt was definitely that of a Hollow but it was far too large to belong to one that only just changed into one._

_His thoughts were interupted when he noticed they were almost around the corner of the rock formation. The sight that greeted him, was absolutely mind-boggling. A Hollow with a completely white skin stood facing them, as if it were waiting. A sharp spike seemed to come out of his calves, reaching downwards were it reconnected with it's heel creating something that seemed to resemble some sort of second heel. It's arms and legs seemed to be filled with intricate red markings that went from the shoulders downwards all the way to it's hands as well as from the hip all the way to it's feet. It's Hollow hole was located on it's chest and it seemed to have a very large and thick tail swing behind him, the tip of which was completely red with some intricate red stripes leading a bit further up the tail. But above all that his Hollow mask was certainly the most bizarre and frightening mask he'd ever seen before. The mask resembled a human skull most of all but even that didn't seem the right way to describe it. Where the eyes were supposed to be was a deep black void with two bright yellow spots that were most likely it's eyes. The upper right side of it's mask had several red stripes leading up to the skul-like mask giving it a very feral appearance. Ichigo's formerly short hair now reached all the way to it's waist even reaching as far as the start of it's tail. Urahara hadn't often seen Hollows that intimidated him. He would even go as far as to say that most Hollow, even some of the higher class hollows such as Adjuchas level hollows, looked rather comical. But this one was everything but comical, it was like an enbodiment of true fear. Yet despite that Urahara noticed the Hollow stood straight and tall much like a human would._

_"Who am I? Where am I?" A hollow voice asked out of nowhere._

_Urahara had to double-check twice to make sure he'd heard correctly. Did this Hollow just talk? It was fairly uncommon for Hollows to talk. No normal Hollow would learn how to talk unless they managed to survive purification for decades. No most Hollow that learn to talk were those who managed to involve and become Adjuchas and even then not all Adjuchas gained the ability of speech. _

_His thoughts however were interupted by Tessai who seemed to be silently chanting. His eyes widened as he realised what Tessai was doing, and for reasons he did not understand himself he wanted to stop Tessai from completing his chant. But he was already too late._

_"Hadou #88 - Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!" Tessai cried out._

_Urahara knew it was over for this Hollow. For Ichigo. Hadou #88 was one of the strongest Kidou spells in existence and with Tessai completing the entire chant there was no way a mere Adjuchas, if that was even what it was, could survive such an attack at near point blank range. No he didn't need the smoke to clear to be sure of this._

_He sighed and pulled his hat further over his eyes. Obviously ashamed of what he had just done to Kurosaki Isshin's son._

_"Let's go, Ururu, Jinta, Tessai,"_

_As the four of them turned to leave one single spike of reiatsu caused their attention once more. Turning their heads around they could see an obviously broken and battered looking Hollow standing there. His skin covered with burns, a small crack forming at the bottom of his Hollow mask and blood dripping from various wounds on his body. He was breathing heavily and actually seemed to be supressing the urge to attack them. As Urahara watched more closely he noticed just where the surge of reiatsu had come from and noticed it was from his finger. 'Cero!?'_

_But before he could even draw his sword. The Hollow tapped his finger in mid-air. A black void appeared out of nowhere. The hollow slipped through the void and closed it before any of them could do so much as lift a finger. 'A garganta?!'_

_"We might have just made a grave mistake today, Tessai, Ururu, Jinta," Urahara said._

_They merely stood there, watching the space that was previously occupied by the Hollow that was Kurosaki Ichigo. None of them even bothered to do so much as nod at Urahara's statement. But they all knew he might just be right._

_[Flashback End]_

Yes, he guessed a lot of the blame did lie with him. Even though Isshin's son was willing to go through with it all. He should've been made aware of the risks he was taking. Although Urahara didn't think he would've listened at the very least he would've known and it wouldn't have been as much his fault as it was now.

At the very least he should've purified the boy. After all that's the job of a Shinigami and despite everything that my have happened in his past it was still what he was at heart. If only he purified the boy he would've been in Soul Society by now, reunited with his dear mother perhaps.

There was one thing Urahara knew for certain now though. Kurosaki Ichigo had done the impossible and had turned not in just a mere Hollow. No, he turned straight into an Adjuchas. No Hollow other then Adjuchas and above were able to create Garganta on their own of that Urahara was sure. He silently wondered if Ichigo's turning straight into an Adjuchas had anything to do with his great Spiritual Power or perhaps his dormant Shinigami powers.

He closed his eyes and sighed. Pulling his hat down he went to make his way out of the basement, someone was going to have to inform Isshin. It might as well be him.

=0=

Outside in the dark of the night. A suspicious cloaked character was running along the streets of Karakura Town. This person was in a hurry to get away from Urahara Shouten, it wouldn't do to get caught now. Not when he just obtained some very valuable information.

=0=

That same night on the outskirts of the 77th District of Rukongai. A figure appeared to be waiting for someone under a set of trees. His figure carefully hidden by nature's grace.

Said figure was named Aizen Sousuke, Gobantai Taicho of the Gotei 13. The position of Captain in the Gotei 13 was one that was not easily achieved. No even more so it was a very impressive feat to ever achieve such a position during your lifetime, or rather death, he chuckled silently. There were three ways to achieve said position.

To start off with one could take the captain proficiency test which would require the Shinigami taking the test to be able to perform Bankai. The final release of their Zanpakutou. Among all Shinigami those who are able to achieve Bankai during their life are few. At least three existing captains including the Commander-General have to witness the test.

The second method is to have personal recommendations from atleast six captains and gain approval from atleast three of the remaining seven.

The last and arguably least used method is to defeat one of the current Captains in a one-on-one fight with atleast two-hundred witnesses from said Captain's division.

Indeed, being a Captain in the Gotei 13 is quite the achievement. But that wasn't Aizen's true face. Currently he was waiting for one of his partners-in-crime to show up.

As if on cue said person came walking around a tree. Lifting his hands to bring down the hood of his cloak. His face very much resembled that of a fox with silvery hair hanging over his ears and his forehead. Yet the one thing a person would always take first notice of was the huge grin which was seemingly pasted on Ichimaru Gin's face twenty-four hours a day.

"Good evening, Aizen-taicho," Ichimaru greeted, grinning.

"Gin, what do you have for me?" Aizen asked him.

"My my, so impatient. I spent the last three days eavesdropping and trying to find out what happened to the boy that interests you so and this is the thank you I get?" Ichimaru asked in mock sadness, yet the grin never once left his face.

Aizen remained standing in front of him. His face impassive. Silently waiting untill Ichimaru continued. Said man could, at times, be rather bothersome. But he definitely had it's uses. Oh yes he wouldn't be half as far if it wasn't for Ichimaru Gin and his second ally Tousen Kaname.

"It seems that your precious boy has turned into a Hollow and fled to Hueco Mundo, Aizen-_taicho_," Ichimaru continued, and if possible the grin on his face just got wider then ever.

Aizen eyes widened, if only for a brief moment. A Hollow? What could have caused that to happen? Did the boy die? As far as Aizen was aware the boy survived Kuchiki Byakuya's attack. But even so, this is certainly interesting. The boy was powerful as a Shinigami, managing to drive back a Menos Grande to Hueco Mundo after a mere month as a Shinigami. And going as far as to drive it back with an unreleased Zanpakutou. But this changes everything. If that boy has become a Hollow he can be brought under my control. But even better, he can be raised to become my most powerful ally, his strength and potential was marvelous as a Shinigami but as a Hollow his potential is near limitless. Imagine what he would be like if he ever evolved into a Vasto Lorde. Yes, a change of plans is in order indeed.

"Gin," Aizen started as he looked up towards him, "It seems we have a change of plans. We will obtain the Hougyoku the day Kuchiki Rukia will be moved to the Shrine of Penitence." Aizen finished as he brought his hood back up to his face.

Gin just smiled as he did the same and dissapeared from the clearing. Both heading into the opposite direction.

=0=

Kurosaki Isshin sat at the kithen table drinking a cup of coffee before heading up to bed. Currently he was thinking about his oldest and only son. Isshin truly wasn't as stupid as some people thought he was. No if one thing could be said about Kurosaki Isshin then it would be that he was a very observant man. Especially when it came to practically anything concerning his family. Ofcourse he had noticed the changes in his son the last few months. And above all that, ofcourse he had noticed that there was a girl sleeping in his son's closet every single night. Even more so, he was well aware of the fact that said girl was in fact, a Shinigami.

Isshin prefered to stay away from everything that could possibly bring him in contact with Shinigami again. He hadn't left that life for nothing. It was the world's best kept secret that Kurosaki Isshin wasn't quite as 'alive' as people generally thought he was.

Currently however that wasn't what was troubling his thoughts. About three days ago his old friend Urahara Kisuke dropped by and told him what had happened to his son. To say Isshin was surprised was no exaggeration. A Captain and a Vice-Captain had been sent to retrieve an _unseated_ member and bring her back to Soul Society? Now that was something that neither of them had witnessed in all of their years as Shinigami. Something was definitely going on there. But more importantly, his son was critically injured and lost his Shinigami powers in the process. Kisuke was a capable man though. He knows the risks of regaining lost Shinigami powers as well as I do. Yet Isshin had an uncomfortable feeling about all this. For some reason he was sure he wasn't going to like the outcome.

He was brought out of his thoughts however as a knock resounded on the front door of the Kurosaki household. _'Man who could that be at this time of the night?'_. When Isshin opened the door he came face to face with one of the men who had been occupying his thoughts just a few moments before. Kisuke's appearance looked rather disheveled as if he hadn't eaten and showered for a while. His hat pulled far over his eyes, not allowing anyone to see his facial expression. Surely this didn't bode well.

"Kisuke! What brings you to my home at this time of the night?" Isshin started pleasantly.

Urahara however still refused to meet his gaze and continued to look at his feet. In all the years Isshin had seen his friend he never seen him like this before. He was usually as crazy as Isshin himself was. To see the man as subdued as he was now was rather scary to be honest.

"It's about your son," Kisuke stated in a rather apologetic voice, "I'm afraid your son has turned into a Hollow, Isshin, I-I'm sorry."

Those were the last words Kurosaki Isshin heard...before he fainted.

=0=

As he lay there on the cold hard stone floor he couldn't help but wonder if this was what death felt like? He was cold and his body ached all over. The last thing he could remember is getting swallowed whole by a huge beam of blue light. He couldn't even remember how he got where he was at the moment.

As he slowly opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings he noticed he was lying into a large cavern, water dripping off the cavern's ceiling and slowly streaming towards a lighted corner which he assumed was the direction of the exit.

After pondering his options for a while he decided to get up and see just where he was exactly. He slowly made his way over to the corner out of which the light seemed to originate. He rounded the corner only to walk straight into the trees of a dark and mysterious forest. He wished he knew how he got here or even knew where 'here' was to begin with. Deciding that since it was all a mystery for him anyway he might as well explore the surrounding forest a bit, he started walking forward.

"I wouldn't go there if I were you," A high pitched voice called out from behind him.

Startled, he whirled around and came face to face with another Hollow or atleast he assumed it was a Hollow, if it was it looked anything but ordinary. This one had the lowerbody of a horse and the upper body much resembling an actual human woman with green hair falling down behind her as far as reaching her waist. She seemed to have some kind of animal skull with two horns adorning the top of her head. Other than that she had a weird crimson line just from one side of her face to the other just below her eyes. Also noticeable was that she was clearly a woman, looking at her rather well-endowed chest this really wasn't questionable. But he was sure Hollow generally didn't have a gender, did they?

But as he thought of all this he realised that only one question truly mattered for him at this point. Who was this woman and what did she have to do with this entire situation. He didn't know how he got here nor did he remember what happened after getting hit by that huge streak of blue or for that matter he didn't remember what happened even before that. He was sure this woman had the answer to his questions.

"Who are you? And how did I get here?" He asked slowly but leaving no mistake of the fact that he wanted his question answered.

"My name is Nelliel Tu Oderschvank and if you want to know the answer to your question then follow me." She said before turning around and walking back towards the cavern he just came from.

=0=

Thank you very much for reading the first chapter of my story! I'd like to have you know I'm probably as new to writing as it gets as this is my first Fanfic and my overall first attempt at writing a story, so go easy on me!  
Next I'd like to ask you to please review. Any comment is appreciated but above all I can appreciate any good advice you may have. I would also like to point out I do not mind being criticized at all. In fact I encourage you to tell me what to improve or even to tell me if you believe I'm doing something completely wrong. I do however frown upon outright flaming without any constructive advice or criticism so I will ask you now to refrain from doing so. Also I will try to answer most of your questions every time I post a new chapter. I will answer your questions either at the beginning or end of a chapter.

And last I would like to ask all of you readers if you have any preferential endings in mind already? I realize it's a long way off and while I have most of the general storyline pretty much planned out I can still go pretty much any way with my story. I can go as far as to ask all of you if you prefer Ichigo to become absolutely evil or if you'd want him to become absolutely good, or maybe even something in between. Let me know what you expect or even what you want. And if your idea intrigues me, I might just do something with it!

Please Review! :


	2. And the Clock Starts Ticking!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach

**gagboy:** I can pretty much guarantee a romantic pairing is not going to happen. The first reason for this is that I do not believe such a thing working between Arrancar or Hollow. And the second reason being that I plan for Ichigo and Nel to have a best friends sort of relationship, or even going as far as soulmates, albeit not in the romantic sense. Though perhaps I should clear this up by not putting them up for a pairing.

**lightning rider666**: As I hope I've properly clarified in this new chapter Ichigo is currently an Adjuchas albeit slightly different in the sense that he does not (yet) have a thousand voices running rampant in his mind with another small change to his Adjuchas state which can be read in the chapter down below. Thanks a lot for the heads up by the way, I have edited the first chapter to hopefully make it more obvious that Ichigo is indeed an Adjuchas rather then a plain old fashioned hollow.

**Ligerheart:** I am unsure about Nel being part of the Espada years before Aizen obtained his Hougyoku. I do not believe it impossible. But I personally do not think this is the case. After Aizen obtained the Hougyoku I believe no more then a year at max would have passed untill the start of the Arrancar arc and that is already pushing it's limits by far. The problem is that it was stated that the three privaron espada are the only three Arrancar in Aizen's army that have achieved shinigamification by natural means without use of the Hougyoku. Therefore I always believed it safe to assume that at the very least the memories from Nelliel and Nnoitra have happened somewhere in the past year (Assuming it even was a year). On the other hand he could've started his recruitment well before he even obtained the Hougyoku, the only difference would be that he could not turn them into Arrancar untill he actually betrayed the Soul Society. Either way as far as I know no official statement has been made regarding this, so speculation likely won't matter much in this case! The truth is, in the world of fanfiction anything is possible so I'll just stick this.

**Chapter 1: And the clock starts ticking.**

That very same night Kurosaki Isshin lay in his bed, very much unable to drift off to sleep. The reason for Kisuke's visit couldn't be good indeed just as he had thought. Isshin couldn't really get his mind to believe what Kisuke had just told him, it just seemed so surreal. His son, his only son, turned into a Hollow? No, that just couldn't be right. He'd never actually seen Ichigo fight as a Shinigami but he had felt Ichigo drive off a Menos Grande a mere month after he had started. His son was strong and he knew it. On the other hand, Isshin himself had never gone through the Shattered Shaft, he really didn't know what it was like. From what Kisuke had told him it was generally very tough and not many ever made it out of there in one piece. But he honestly couldn't blame Kisuke.

No if there was one person to blame for this mess, Kurosaki Isshin thought it was Kuchiki Byakuya, Rokubantai-taicho[1]. It were his actions that led to Ichigo's decision to have to go through the Shattered Shaft 'training'. And if Isshin was to have a say in the matter, Byakuya would pay a heavy price for just what he did to Ichigo.

There was however, one other troubling subject Kisuke had started about last night. Kisuke seemed to believe Ichigo's free will remained, he didn't seem to be instantly subjected to either anger or hunger. More important then that it seemed the Hollow that was Ichigo might have been truly intelligent for it kept his ability of speech. If the man telling him this hadn't been Urahara Kisuke, Isshin would've laughed it off instantly. A Hollow that just turned, who wasn't instantly subjected to hunger, who could actually talk and according to Kisuke his reiatsu level was quite a lot higher then the average Adjuchas. Indeed if the person who told him such a story hadn't been Urahara Kisuke he would've never believed the man. One could say Kisuke was many things, slightly crazy was certainly one of them, one thing he was certainly not however was a liar. Isshin was inclined to believe the man, after all he wouldn't dare lie about a serious situation such as this.

Those were the thoughts that led Isshin to his next problem. His daughters. Karin and Yuzu would not react well to the news of Ichigo's...death. Yet, Isshin couldn't exactly tell them what truly happened could he now? His daughters weren't even aware of the existence of Hollow and Shinigami. Noone in his family had known Isshin used to be a Shinigami, not even Masaki. He'd always told himself that he'd tell them one day. Sadly Masaki died before he even got to tell her, and now Ichigo died too. But his daughters were too young, he was sure of that, the truth would hurt them more then comfort them. He would have to wait, another ten years and perhaps they would be ready to hear the truth. But how could he possibly tell them Ichigo had just died? It was true ofcourse, Ichigo had died after which he turned into a soul-eating monster straight from a little girls nightmares. His body still sported the wounds it had received from his fight with Byakuya and Renji though. Isshin sighed, he saw only one option. He'd have to tell his little girls that Ichigo had died in some sort of streetfight he'd accidentally gotten involved in. Ichigo would kick his ass so badly if he knew just what he was telling his daughters about his death.

=0=

As he sat across from the green-haired woman who had just introduced herself as Nelliel he couldn't help but notice he was getting slightly hungry. Then again he had more important things to worry about at this moment in time. To start off with, how did he get there and what did this woman have to do with it all. She must have played some part in it all he was sure of it and her attitude up untill now wasn't exactly trying to convince him of the opposite being true either.

Yet at the same time he had about a hundred questions for this woman. To start off with what was she? He believed she was a Hollow but he couldn't be entirely sure about it either. After all she looked more like a human then any Hollow he had ever seen before. He had questions and he had a lot of them, this woman would answer them one way or another.

"You are in the Menos Forest in the realm of Hueco Mundo," Nelliel said as if sensing the unspoken questions.

Hueco Mundo. It sounded familiar. He knew he should know what it meant, it sounded much like...home, should sound. If a Hollow ever had such a thing as home then that is what it would sound like he was sure. Yet there was more he wanted to know, much more and since she seemed to be okay answering his questions he decided to continue.

"Do you know how I got here?" He asked.

"I know how you arrived here but I can only guess as to why you arrived in the state you were in," She stated.

The state I was in? I remember being rather sore when I woke up but right now I don't even feel sore. I feel just perfectly fine as a matter of fact. With each answer she gives me more questions keep popping up. At this rate we'll be going on forever.

"Could you just tell me everything that happened from...the start, untill now. With each question you answer more questions keep popping up in my head, at this rate we'll be going on for a while so perhaps it'll speed things up," He asked her.

She sighed. But answered nonetheless. "Very well," She started, before she paused, apparently unsure of how to start, "The truth is, you just appeared before me last night. A Garganta opened up in front of me and you fell out before it closed. You lost consciousness seconds after. I took you here to this cave to help you recuperate but you didn't seem to need it, you appear to have some passive regenerative abilities that healed you within a couple of hours. One thing I did manage to find out is that you were likely attacked by Shinigami, the reiatsu traces left on your body were definitely not from a Hollow, that much I can tell."

It wasn't a lot of information. She merely told him how he appeared here and her speculation of what happened before he got here. The annoying thing was that he couldn't remember a thing other then that huge blue flash engulfing him from every angle. Somehow her explanation seemed to click though, he was sure she was right. He just didn't know why, yet. But he vowed to find out what happened to him.

"Now, I have a question for you" Nelliel's high pitched voice called out, distracting him from his thoughts, "How come you aren't rushing off to eat? How come you haven't attacked me yet? You haven't eaten for atleast eight hours. As an Adjuchas the voices should start to get to you by now and if you do not eat before long you will revert back, you should know this yet all evidence seems to point to the fact that you either do not know or simply do not care. Which is it?"

'Adjuchas? Revert back? Voices in my head? What the hell is this woman talking about?' More and more questions keep popping up the more time I spent with this woman, what is going on here?

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. Voices in my head? I realise I'm hungry but it's not like I'll die if I don't eat in the next hour. Explain yourself, woman," He said to her.

Meanwhile Nelliel was starting to get confused by this, seemingly, young and new Adjuchas. She was certain he was in fact an Adjuchas, none of the facts made her believe otherwise. He was able to travel through Garganta's an ability that not even every Adjuchas was able to accomplish. He was able to actually speak something only Adjuchas class Hollow and above were able to achieve, with the exception of a select few normal Hollow who simply managed to live for a long time without being subjected to purification. And last but definitely not least his reiatsu level was definitely indicating he was extremely powerful for an Adjuchas, which at first, made her believe he was an older Adjuchas. But since he apparently didn't even know what she was talking about he must be a new one, the only other explanation would be that he was suffering from some kind of memory loss, which seemed rather unlikely as well, such a thing wasn't unheard off but it was still very uncommon to happen to Hollow. But why didn't he know what she was talking about when she mentioned the voices? Every Adjuchas has to suffer hearing the constant voices in their head, the voices of the hundreds or thousands of souls they've devoured in their lifetime. Just why couldn't he hear them? No, it wasn't that he couldn't hear them, such a thing is impossible. After a Gillian evolved to an Adjuchas they would have atleast devoured a couple of hundred souls. The only logical explanation was that the voices simply weren't there which should mean that he evolved straight into an Adjuchas upon turning into a Hollow. That was something Nelliel had never heard of before, she had a few theories as to how this was possible but at this point it didn't matter too much.

"Let me explain the Hollow evolutionary chain to you..." She paused for a moment as if waiting for something. When it appeared he wasn't going to answer she sighed, and asked, "Do you have a name, Adjuchas?"

He had to think about that for a moment. Everyone had a name right? He was sure he was supposed to have one. If one was asked such a question you should be able to answer it instantly. Yet, he couldn't remember if he even had one let alone what it was.

"I honestly don't know, I can't remember anything at all. All I remember is being engulfed by a huge blue streak of light and then waking up in this cave, I do not know what happened before that nor can I remember what happened between the blue streak of light and waking up," He said, rather...apologetically?

Now this was interesting, Nelliel thought. So he did seem to suffer from some kind of memory loss. It was not abnormal for a Hollow to lose most of their memories upon turning. As a matter of fact it happened to the majority of the Hollow. Most did however keep their personality and as far as Nelliel knew every Hollow at the very least remembered their name. She decided to leave these thoughts for later and continue her explanation for now.

"Very well. Hollow eat and consume souls to fill the empty void within them. Throughout their entire life Hollow will always feel empty, that emptyness translates into hunger, hunger to fill the everlasting void within their heartless souls. But no matter how much souls a Hollow consumes. The void will never truly dissapear, I can vouch for that.

Now when a large amount of Hollow are located in a single spot. The Hollow will 'merge' to form a Menos Grande. Menos are divided into three categories. Gillian, Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde. A Gillian is what is formed if a large amount of Hollow are concentrated in a single spot. A Gillian is a mindless drone who does not have it's own free will. All it knows is how to consume other souls. Now every once in a while when a Gillian is formed, one of the Hollow that is used in the forming has a much more dominant or stronger soul. This soul will be the dominant soul inside the Gillian and the Gillian will actually have it's own free will. The dominant soul is the soul that has control and when it has consumed enough souls it will continue it's evolution by evolving to the next stage: an Adjuchas.

Adjuchas are the middle class of Menos. They often regain their ability of speech and are far more intelligent then the average Hollow. Adjuchas however are eternally tormented by the voices of every soul they have consumed and they do not only consume souls to fill the eternally present void inside their soul. If Adjuchas stop consuming souls they will revert back to their former Gillian form, but even worse they will lose the dominance they once had and the Gillian will be just like any other Gillian, a mere mindless drone on the hunt for more souls for as long as it may live.

The last stage of a Menos is what we call a Vasto Lorde. There are only about a dozen Vasto Lorde in all of Hueco Mundo. The amount of souls an Adjuchas needs to consume to evolve is unreal and it will often take centuries of consuming souls to achieve their goal. Only a very select few of Adjuchas manage to ever evolve into a Vasto Lorde. Vasto Lorde generally are highly intelligent Hollow who have managed to fill the void within their soul as far as possible. The emptyness in a Hollow's soul will always remain as I've said before, it can lessen but it will never truly dissapear. Apart from that Vasto Lorde generally take on a more human shape and their power is not even comparable to that of an Adjuchas. No Adjuchas alive would ever stand a chance against even the weakest of Vasto Lorde, no matter how powerful said Adjuchas may be. The power of a Vasto Lorde is on a completely different level."

'Most of the evidence seems to the point to the fact that I am an Adjuchas yet at the same time it is pointing at the fact that I am not, however Nelliel has told me that my power certainly equals that of one. And she did call me an Adjuchas,' He thought.

"Nelliel," He started, "What am I? You called me an Adjuchas earlier. Yet some of the things you have just told me about Adjuchas seem to point towards the fact that I am not."

"Your seem to be unique as I have never encountered one like you before. But I assure you I am certain you are an Adjuchas, for one your reiatsu equals that of a high-level Adjuchas, secondly you can talk and you can do so properly and thirdly you know how to create a Garganta. These are all major factors that are pointing towards the fact that you certainly are an Adjuchas. I have a theory as to what could have happened to you, if you would like to hear it?"

He quickly nodded, starting to get rather afraid that if he didn't eat sometime soon that he would lose his personality and dominance over his own body. If what Nelliel told him about Adjuchas just now was any indication he may not have a lot of time.

"I believe you have recently died as a human and when you turned into a Hollow you somehow managed to skip a part of the evolution. A reason for this may have been the fact that you, during your lifetime, somehow managed to obtain a large amount of spiritual energy. Theoretically this is possible as there are areas around the world that possess a lot more spiritual activity then others. For example I know of a place called Karakura Town that is the most spiritual active place in the world and it is pretty much seen as a hotspot for Hollow. The memory loss however is not something I can explain, it is uncommon but not exactly unheard of. It might as well have been some bad luck on your part."

It was interesting indeed but it did not answer the question he was anxious to hear the answer to. Deciding not to waste any more time in case he did not have much left he asked the question he dreaded hearing the answer to.

"I am currently rather hungry, however since I am a 'unique case' as you called it. Will I have to devour to stay dominant in my own body?"

Nelliel smirked at this. She had expected the question and avoided answering on purpose. She would be the first to admit she really enjoyed toying with this way too serious Hollow. On the other hand, considering his situation she didn't blame him for being as serious as he was.

"I can't be certain but I don't believe so. You have certainly never been a Gillian before for if you had you would without a doubt hear the voices I mentioned before. Therefore it is unlikely you would revert back into a Gillian since you haven't ever been one to start off with. If you are 'hungry' as you call it I would advise you to eat. But keep two things in mind. First off you aren't hungry, you are dead so food is of no importance to you, the emptyness in your soul however is starting to get to you and the only way to fill this emptyness is by devouring other souls. Secondly it is very likely that for each soul you devour from here on out you will gain an additional voice in your head. Quite annoying I can assure you," She finished with a grin on her face.

Relief filled his...heart? No, he didn't have a heart if he was to believe this woman. Nevertheless he felt relieved. It was time to go hunting, his hunger, no the void in his soul definitely needed to be refilled, even if only slightly. Yet, there was one more question he needed to hear the answer to. He was certain he already knew but he had to know for sure.

"I have one more question," He started and quickly continued before she got a chance to interupt him, "Why did you help me, Vasto Lorde?" He smirked.

She laughed heartily. "My my, aren't you the clever one? You certainly aren't stupid. How did you figure it out?"

"It was quite easy after your little explanation. I quote: 'Vasto Lorde generally take on a more human shape'. I believe I look more human then most ordinary Hollow. You, however, without a doubt look far more human then I do. I guess it is only logical I would assume you are a Vasto Lorde. And you aren't stupid either since you answered my question with another question. So let me ask again," He continued with a grin,"Why did you help me?"

She couldn't help but smile at that, he was an interesting one indeed. "You merely interest me, little Adjuchas," She couldn't hold back her laughter at the indignant look on his face for being called 'little Adjuchas'. She soon got her laughter under control and stood up. "Let us go out for dinner, little Adjuchas," She said with a wink in his direction before heading out of the cavern.

=0=

A day later in the First Division's Headquarters. All thirteen captains of the Gotei 13 stood assembled, ready to discuss whatever urgent matter they were summoned for. One out of these thirteen was, Aizen Sousuke. Next to him on his left stood Unohana Retsu, Yonbantai-taicho[2]. On his right side stood Kuchiki Byakuya, Rokubantai-taicho and the supposed killer of Kurosaki Ichigo, Aizen's soon to be prized trophy.

As he scanned the room he noticed the normally absent Jüsanbantai-taicho[3] Ukitake Jushirou was actually in attendance for a change, standing next to Jünibantai-taicho[4] Kurotsuchi Mayuri, President of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.

Scanning the faces of the remaining captains in attendance he could clearly see that the majority of them did not have any clue whatsoever as to why they were summoned during these relatively peaceful times. Aizen ofcourse already knew, after all he was the one that arranged the meeting, secretely pulling the strings behind everyone's back. His thoughts were interupted by none other then Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni-Soutachi, the Commander-General of Soul Society. Said person hit the ground with his staff thrice and the murmurs quickly quieted down.

"I hereby declare this Captain's meeting opened," The Soutaicho's voice rang out through the First Division's Headquarters, "We have gathered here today to discuss the fate of one Kuchiki Rukia, unseated member of the Thirteenth Division."

Several murmurs were heard throughout the room. It was clear rumors had been circulating about said person. Yet noone was sure of what her fate would be. It appeared Central 46 had finally come to a decision. As Yamamoto raised his hand to motion for silence he quickly continued.

"Kuchiki Rukia has been accused of the crime of giving her spiritual powers to a human boy. Her actions have resulted in the death of said human boy, therefore, in twenty-five days Kuchiki Rukia shall be executed on top of Soukyoku-Hill, the remaining period of said twenty-five days shall be spent in the Shrine of Penitence."

"You can't do that! We all know it wasn't her actions that resulted in the death of that human boy, each of us has read Byakuya's report on the matter!" Yelled Ukitake Jushirou, Rukia's captain.

"Silence, Jushirou! The Rokubantai-taicho did what was expected of him. We cannot allow humans to posses Shinigami powers, that is ancient Soul Society law! It was due to Kuchiki Rukia's actions said boy had to be eliminated." The Commander-General's voice rang out through the room.

Ukitake's shoulders slumped. Clearly he realized that ancient Soul Society law can not be disobeyed. Personally he believed Rukia did what was right but there was truly nothing he could do to help her. A human boy suffered an early death which was indirectly her fault indeed. He sighed and as the Captain's meeting was concluded he quickly turned around and made his way back to his Division's Headquarters.

=0=

Urahara Kisuke sat around a table in his shop together with Kurosaki Isshin, Shihouin Yoruichi, Yasutora Sado, Ishida Uryuu and Inoue Orihime. He called them all here today to discuss the fates of Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia. His friends for one weren't even aware of the former's fate just yet. And Urahara personally thought that since it was Ichigo's final wish that Rukia be rescued that was just how it should happen. But it wasn't up to Urahara alone, no they would have to decide together.

"So, I bet you all wonder why I have called you all here today?" Urahara asked in his usual jovial tone. "Ofcourse I wouldn't have interupted your training for a mere tea-party," He continued, the jovial tone of his voice dissapearing much to the shock of those present. Those who knew Urahara well knew he wouldn't often get serious unless the situation absolutely called for it. Those who didn't know him as well had obviously never seen him get serious before.

"Um...why isn't Kurosaki-kun here too? Shouldn't he get too hear this as well?" There it was, Inoue asked the question Urahara was dreading to answer. In this room there was only one person who currently knew the answer to that question apart from Urahara himself.

"I-I would've invited him, ofcourse. This meeting is actually about him, and one other person. I'm afraid, Inoue that Kurosaki Ichigo, has died." Urahara said, his eyes downcast.

Silence reigned through the room. People looking from one to the other as if seeking confirmation. However the only two who could give such a confirmation were looking steadily at their feet.

"N-No!" Inoue shouted, "Kurosaki-kun is a strong person! He couldn't die just like that, what makes you think he could!? Do you think this is funny?!" She yelled tears welling up in her eyes.

Urahara slowly raised his gaze to meet her eyes. As Inoue saw the seriousness in them she instantly broke down and grabbed a hold of Ishida, who desperately tried to comfort her.

As Urahara looked around the room at the people gathered around the table he noticed there was one person who was having an even harder time with it then Inoue. This person was Yasutora Sado. There were not a lot of outward signs that would tell a person he was even feeling any emotion at the moment. But as Urahara looked him in the eyes he was surprised to see the most grief stricken look in there he had ever seen before. It was obvious that Kurosaki Ichigo had meant a great deal to Yasutora Sado. Next he looked at Ishida Uryuu. He could see this boy too had trouble dealing with it. If Urahara wasn't mistaken they hadn't been friends for very long. As a matter of fact Urahara would bet on the fact that the Quincy would've never openly admitted he considered the Kurosaki boy a friend at all. But at the look in his eyes Urahara could see it. He could see the grief for a lost friend and rival. Lastly he turned his head to look at Yoruichi next to him. The cat was looking at him inquisitively but looking at the current state of the other members in the room she seemed to decide not to speak. Urahara knew she would have more to say later though.

As Inoue's crying slowly quieted down to a silent sobbing Urahara decided to continue. "Seeing as I have already released quite a bombshell on all of you today perhaps it would be better to continue this conversation tomorrow?"

Urahara could see Inoue and Sado were definitely considering this idea but before they could voice any of their opinions they were interupted by Ishida's voice.

"No, I believe it would be best for all of us if we were told what happened right here and now. Dealing with grief once is bad enough but having to get over your grief first and then be reminded of it again is just cruel," Ishida stated, leaving no question of the fact that he wanted to know everything right here and now.

Urahara had to agree the boy made a valid point. Having to deal with your grief once was bad enough indeed. It wouldn't do to have them get over it only to be reminded of it again and then have another bombshell dropped when they heard the Kurosaki boy had turned into a Hollow. It was for the best, indeed.

"As you all know Kurosaki-san lost his Shinigami powers when he fought the two Shinigami from Soul Society," Urahara started. "Now you see, I have this 'training program' I suppose you could call it, which would've allowed Kurosaki-san to regain his lost powers. The 'exercise' could be performed only once and he had to succeed the first time if he was to be succesful. Sadly...he wasn't." Urahara finished as he let out a sigh.

"I can safely pressume Kurosaki volunteered for this 'exercise' of yours knowing the risks and without being forced into it?" Ishida asked.

"Yes, he knew of the risks although I would be the first to admit that perhaps I should've explained the risks more clearly," Urahara admitted, shamefully.

"I feel there is something you aren't telling us Urahara-san, out with it, now," Ishida all but commanded, one could clearly see his temper was starting to get the better of him.

"I will explain, Kisuke," Isshin who hadn't spoken a word since the meeting started said. All eyes turned on him, not without reason though as Ichigo's friends hadn't met his father before.

"And you are?" Ishida asked.

"Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's father," Isshin explained. At this revelation the eyes of Inoue, Sado and Ishida widened. This was one thing they obviously hadn't expected. Ichigo's father had been sitting at a table with them for this entire meeting all the while listening while they were discussing things that would get a normal person send to a madhouse instantly. As if sensing the unasked question Isshin continued. "I used to be a Shinigami, and I have been dead for a couple of hundred years now," If possible their eyes widened even further. Dead for a couple of hundred years? This guy was absolutely ancient!

"But enough of that, I will explain to you what happened that caused my son to die," Isshin started. "The exercise Kisuke was refering to is something he called the Shattered Shaft. The person performing the exercise will get his Chain of Fate cut and be thrown into the Shattered Shaft, which is commonly just a very deep pit. An erosion on the Chain of Fate will form as soon as it is cut. The person who is thrown into the Shaft will have his arms bound behind his back and will be asked to climb out of the shaft before the erosion reaches his chest. Obviously the only way to do this is by rediscovering your dormant Shinigami powers." Ishida instantly gasped at this. Isshin was sure the Quincy knew what this meant.

"Ishida, I'm sure you know what happens when the erosion reaches your chest," Isshin stated, leaving no doubt about the fact that he knew Ishida knew.

Ishida meanwhile, was at loss for words. How could Kurosaki Ichigo have taken this test when he knew what would happen if he failed? A Shinigami's job is to purify Hollow. Kurosaki's fate was without a doubt a fate worse then death itself. But in a way it didn't surprise Ishida as much as he thought it would. Kurosaki always was a reckless individual, he never did care too much about his own personal safety. Realizing Isshin had asked him a question he shook himself out of his thoughts.

"When the Chain of Fate reaches the chest of a plus, said plus will turn into a Hollow..." Ishida said, closing his eyes.

"Ichigo?! A Hollow?! No..." Yasutora Sado's voice rang out throughout the small room. His eyes blazing with anger as if willing the first person to say such a ridiculous thing again to drop dead.

"I'm afraid so Yasutora-san," Urahara started, "But it is time we return to the matter at hand. Kurosaki-san fled to the realm of Hueco Mundo after he was injured in our attempt to purify him. What we need to discuss however is what we will do from here on. As you all know Kurosaki-san's wish was to rescue Ms. Kuchiki. I personally believe that since it was his wish we should all give our very best to see it through, even without him"

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself!? It's not as if Kurosaki-kun's even dead to begin with! He's just...he's just...he's..." Inoue's yelled angrily before quietely sitting down again, her eyes cast downwards towards her lap, tears silently falling down her face.

"Do not delude yourself Inoue Orihime," Urahara started strictly, "While your grief is shared among each and every one of us you should be well aware of the fact that he is truly gone. In death a plus either get's sent to Soul Society or it ends up turning into a Hollow. You know this so the sooner you face this reality the better," He finished softly.

Inoue could do nothing more but nod. She knew he was right but it was just too hard to think about it right now. Kurosaki-kun had always been such a strong person. Standing up for what he believed in and fighting for his friends and loved ones. She just couldn't get used to the fact that he was now truly gone.

"But back to the matter at hand, I believe we should head to Soul Society the day after tomorrow, early in the morning. If we are to go at all. Are there any of you who do not wish to honour Kurosaki-san's last wish?" Urahara asked, leaving no question of the fact that everyone would follow.

Slowly but surely each and every one of them shook their heads. Letting him know they would all head there together. He knew it was harsh. Barely allowing them two days to deal with their grief. But they would have to hurry he was sure.

Getting up he let them know they were free to go home. As he walked out of the room he added one more thing before he closed the door behind him. "Be sure to meet eachother here the day after tomorrow at nine o'clock in the morning."

=0=

Kuchiki Rukia was sitting on the single chair in her cell. Thinking back on her time in the living world she had to admit she didn't regret what she did. Getting to know Ichigo and his friends. Going to school in the living world. Ichigo's father and his crazy antics along with both of his adorable sisters. No she didn't think she would ever regret what she did. She was well aware of the fact that giving your Shinigami powers to a human was seen as a capital offense. Yet at the time the human boy, Ichigo resembled Kaien so much. Ofcourse she didn't think the boy was a mere clone of Kaien. No they were similar in a lot of ways but one could also tell them apart just as easily.

She started to realise she'd grown very fond of Ichigo and he'd, in the short time they'd known eachother, become a very important person to her. It broke her heart when she so harshly told him not to follow her but she had to make sure. She knew he would come after her if he survived. If he came to Soul Society he would inevitably die and it would all be her fault. It was best this way. Whatever her punishment was going to be, she was glad she got to know Ichigo and she was glad that she'd atleast be able to give him a chance to live his life.

She was broken out of her thoughts by a door opening. As she looked up she could clearly see the figure of Nii-sama approaching the cell she was being held in. His face as impassive as always, but she knew deep down, that he was dissapointed in her, as always. As he reached her cell he turned around and looked at her. The emotionless mask that was his face seemingly looking straight at her very soul.

"Central 46 has decided upon your punishment. Twenty-five days from now you are scheduled for execution on top of Soukyoku-Hill. The day after tomorrow you are scheduled to be moved to the Shrine of Penitence where you will spend the last of your days. That is Soul Society's decision." Byakuya stated, his voice as impassive as ever.

Rukia meanwhile, was shocked. She had expected a severe punishment, imprisonment for several decades at the very least. But a death sentence? The thought had crossed her mind a couple of times yes, but she never actually expected to get one. Nonetheless, there was nothing that could be done about it now. If she truly was to die then she would go down with honor befitting the Kuchiki name, she would not disgrace her family name any further. And so her face remained impassive when her Nii-sama spoke his final words to her.

"This shall be the last time you and I shall speak." Byakuya said as he walked away.

"Rukia, the next time we meet shall be on the execution platform." He said, seconds before closing the door behind him.

'So this is how it's going to be,' Rukia thought with a bitter smile on her face. 'I just hope Ichigo is still alive,'

= 0 =

**[1] Rokubantai-taicho **: Sixth Division Captain.

**[2] Yonbantai-taicho **: Fourth Division Captain.

**[3] Jüsanbantai-taicho : **Thirtheenth Division Captain.

**[4] Jünibantai-taicho **: Twelfth Division Captain.

_And here's the second chapter. I didn't really plan to finish it a day later but the sooner the better I guess. I hope you like it. Tell me what you think of it! R&R!_


	3. Lies and Deceit

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach!

**hellzanetruesdale:** I'm sorry. I've considered the possibility of adding Ishida Ryuuken to the Soul Society Invasion, however I believe the character of Ryuuken would never agree to go Soul Society along with four other Shinigami of all people.

**Ligerheart:** I do agree with the way you view Hollow. I don't view Hollow and Shinigami as Evil and Good. If we're talking about main unevolved Hollow though I would sooner compare them with an animal then with a being that would necessarily be evil simply because it eats. You may have a point about relationship among Hollow or atleast Arrancar though. I won't promise anything yet but let's just say that for now I haven't yet made up my mind about adding a pairing. There might be one or that might not be, if there is though, it will almost certainly be Ichigo/Nel. The main reason for my current uncertainty is just the simple fact that I want to go used to writing before I start into more complicated aspects of it such as romance, after all, I am rather new at it all!  
As for Nell being a Vasto Lorde, well I did it simply because I can and because it would make a couple of things easier to write and point out. Personally I also believe the Top 4 Espada in Canon were all previously Vasto Lorde. Mainly because of their high level of intelligence and the fact that even after they release their looks remain as human looking as it get's among the Espada.

**RyumaOmega:** As I mentioned above I am not entirely sure yet. At first I planned to use an Ichi/Nell pairing however my certainty about that started to waver when I noticed writing is truly harder then it looks. This being my first fanfic I figured perhaps I should focus more on putting a good story together rather then making it even harder by adding romance in the story as well. However since you aren't exactly the first one to ask me to continue with an Ichi/Nell pairing I will without a doubt reconsider it!

**Chapter 2: Lies and Deceit.  
**

Aizen was silently walking through the empty Central 46 Compound. He had to admit, it had been rather easy to clear the Compound of Soul Society's 'wise men' and their families. His plan was coming along perfectly and there was only a single day left untill it would all come to fruition. Currently two accomplices of Aizen were acting as both Aizen Sousuke and Tousen Kaname under the disguise of _Ky__ōka Suigetsu__'s_ illusions. Ironically the person who was currently under the disguise as Aizen himself happened to be the very same man who fooled Hirako Shinji, Aizen's former Captain about 110 years ago.

As soon as Aizen rounded the corner he noticed a figure walking towards him, the figure of Tousen Kaname to be exact.

"Aizen-sama," Kaname greeted with a nod of the head, "I have received some interesting information from our 'client' in Las Noches."

"Continue, Kaname."

"It appears Nelliel Tu Oderschvank one of the remaining Vasto Lorde has taken a young Hollow under her wing. More importantly said Hollow was said to have long orange hair flowing down to reach his waist. Sounds familiar wouldn't you say, Aizen-sama?"

"It does indeed, Kaname. How certain can we be that this is indeed our young Kurosaki Ichigo?" Aizen asked.

"Reports state that said Hollow is without a doubt an Adjuchas-level Hollow. More importantly he seems to hunt mostly other Adjuchas himself and has so far not encountered a single one that even managed to put up much of a fight." Tousen explained.

"Interesting. I believe there is a good possibility this Hollow is indeed our young friend and appears to have allied himself with Nelliel. All the better for us, it might prove easier to...convince her to join us as well. Out of curiosity, Kaname, do the reports name any familiar Hollow that have faced our young Kurosaki yet?"

"Hai, Aizen-sama." Tousen answered, "Nnoitra Jiruga has faced the boy and was defeated effortlessly. Despite Nnoitra's skills it appears he didn't stand a chance. Kurosaki however did let him live." Tousen finished.

"I see," Aizen said, "Thank you, Kaname. Now let us be on our way, we have a lot to do still before we can commence our final plan."

=0=

It was early morning in Karakura Town. Two people were standing next to an unknown shop at the edge of town. Said people were Shihouin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke.

A little less then two days had passed and they were scheduled to meet eachother in about fifteen minutes. Urahara had done a lot of thinking over the past days and he had to admit the true reason he decided to join the others in Soul Society had next to nothing to do with what Ichigo would have wanted. No, it had however, everything to do with Kuchiki Rukia. Urahara was concerned, he had given her a special gigai that would slowly but surely rob her of her spiritual power and eventually turn her in nothing more then a regular human, forever lost off of Soul Society's radar.

He truly did feel sorry for Kuchiki-san. For it was her life that was being manipulated as he saw fit. But it was all for a greater good, that is what he believed. For the item sealed into Kuchiki Rukia should never get to see the living daylights again.

110 years ago Urahara was banished from Soul Society by the manipulating hands of the traitors, Aizen Sousuke, Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname. It was their experiments that drove Urahara to hide the object he created, the Hougyoku, within an unsuspecting soul living in the 78th District of the Rukongai. Said soul, was Kuchiki Rukia. For the Hougyoku could distort the barriers between Shinigami and Hollow. Allowing Shinigami the chance to gain Hollow powers and Hollow the chance to gain the powers of a Shinigami. It was exactly that which Urahara caught Aizen experimenting with, Hollowfication. Aizen however managed to unsmart him and got Urahara along with nearly a dozen other high-ranked officers banished from Soul Society.

This was the true reason Urahara wanted to go to Soul Society. He did not believe it was a coincidence Kuchiki-san was taken back to Soul Society. Someone was pulling the strings from behind the scenes. It was unheard of for a Captain and his Vice-Captain to be sent to retrieve an _unseated _member from the real word. Someone must have released Kuchiki-san was hard to trace after she got the special gigai he made for her. And someone must've wanted to make sure she returned without the chance of losing sight of her once more.

Urahara did feel bad for deceiving both Isshin and Ichigo's friends like this. Although he had an inkling Isshin was on to him regardless. The man was more perceptive then people gave him credit for. But it wasn't as if their goals weren't the same. So he supposed he didn't really have to feel all that bad about it after all. They both wanted the same after all, if only just for different reasons.

Urahara wasn't sure how they were going to procede once they got inside yet. They were going to arrive in West-Rukongai close to the walls of Seireitei. The easiest way to get inside would be to simply convince Jidanbo, a Seireitei Gatekeeper, to let them in. If necessary however it could always be done the old fashioned way, which would be simply beating the old gatekeeper after which he would allow you inside. Once inside however, they would have to improvise. There were just too many things that could go wrong.

Urahara sighed and turned his head as approaching footsteps distracted him from his thoughts. Approaching him were Inoue Orihime, Yasutora Sado, Ishida Uryuu and Kurosaki Isshin dressed in his Shinigami Uniform with his Captain's Haori draped across his shoulder much like a cape and a huge cleaver like Zanpakutou covered in bandages stripped to his back.

As the four of them halted in front of Urahara he could see by the looks in their faces that they had done a lot of thinking in the past two days and he was certain they were as ready as they were going to be. As if sensing his thoughts they all nodded at once, letting him know they were ready to go and not planning to waste any time.

He nodded back and cleared his throat before he started speaking. "Once we get through the Senkaimon[1], we will arrive in the middle of West-Rukongai. We will convince the Seireitei Gatekeeper to let us inside. This is a job you best leave up to myself, Isshin and Yoruichi." Urahara pointed out to the others. At the mention of Yoruichi however, several people frowned. How was a cat despite the fact that it could talk supposed to help out with that? Urahara was already looking forward to their faces when Yoruichi would show her true colors.

"Once inside, things will likely ensue in chaos. The best we can do from there on is perform a Kido to locate Kuchiki-san. Tessai who will be joining us as well will be the one to perform this job. After we have ascertained her location we will simply try to get their as fast as we possibly can!" Urahara exclaimed, an uneasy grin on his face.

After this Urahara motioned for them to follow him inside where Tessai quickly joined them. Yoruichi however went off into another room as they proceeded to go downstairs into his underground training facility where the Senkaimon was already set up.

"I have one more thing to tell the three of you," Urahara said pointing towards Ishida, Inoue and Sado. "If you come across any person wearing this," He told them, unfolding a white piece of cloth he was holding and proceeding to put it on. It was a Captain's Haori with the Kanji for twelve on it's back. "I ask you to let me, Yoruichi, Isshin or otherwise Tessai handle them. Do not fight them, unless you have a death wish." Seeing them all frown again at the mention of Yoruichi Urahara couldn't help but snicker nonetheless they nodded a couple of seconds later, signifying they understood.

As if on cue a slender woman with a tanned skin and long purple hair, wearing an orange jacket joined them. "Ah, Yoruichi, it seems we're all here then," Urahara said, close watching the faces of Sado, Inoue and Ishida. They all held rather confused expressions. Inoue was the first to burst however. "Y-Yoruichi? B-but you're a cat!" She blurted out. The other two could only nod as they looked from Inoue to the tanned beauty standing in front of them. "A cat? Have you ever seen a talking cat before, Kisuke?" She asked him in mock seriousness. Urahara snickered at her antics. "No, no Yoruichi I haven't. But I do believe we have more important matters to attend to," He stated looking at the three teens still standing there with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Deciding they'd had enough fun he dropped the playfulness, taking on a more serious expression. The others soon followed.

"Well then, I believe we are ready to go, we will go through the Senkaimon together and we will exit it together just as well," As he said this the Senkaimon started to glow with an ethereal blue light, signifying it was open. After a 110 years, Urahara Kisuke was finally returning to Soul Society.

=0=

Aizen Sousuke, Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname were waiting at the entrance of the Shrine of Penitence for the escort of Kuchiki Rukia. They were late and so Aizen thought back to the last couple of days.

First he thought back to when information reached his ears about Kuchiki Rukia. She was sighted in the real world at last after an absense of almost two months. He knew Soul Society would likely sent a standard retrieval squad to retrieve Kuchiki. He felt this was a risk. Apparently she had lost her Shinigami powers and passed them on to some human boy and the last information they received was that said boy managed to drive a Menos Grande back to Hueco Mundo. It was certainly possible the same boy would manage to defeat the retrieval squad. He could not risk losing sight of Kuchiki Rukia once more, he was certain Urahara Kisuke had something to do with her dissapearance and knowing that man he would succeed in keeping her off Soul Society's radar, if given enough time.

So he proceeded to take out the entire Central 46 and along with the help of his _zanpakutou_ made it appear as if the Central 46 was still running just as it normally were. In secret however, one of either Aizen, Gin or Kaname would be inside Central 46's chambers at all times to continue giving orders to the Gotei 13. Ofcourse these orders were to keep up appearances that Central 46 was still very much alive and secondly to turn the tide in their favor. For example he was able to send Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji to retrieve Rukia from the real word. The _Rokubantai-taicho_ and _fukutaicho, _this assured that Rukia would return, and she would not escape Soul Society's clutches again.

Aizen had to admit he'd had an interest in Kurosaki Ichigo ever since he heard about the Menos Grande incident. A Shinigami, a _human_ Shinigami even, that had not been at it for more then a month or two yet driving back a Gillian. Truly astonishing indeed. But he would not have altered his plans for said boy, as a matter of fact his plans were counting on the boy and his friends to invade Soul Society and attempt to rescue Kuchiki. However when he heard the boy turned into a Hollow and fled to Hueco Mundo he could barely contain the grin threatening to appear on his face. He would capture Kurosaki and mold him into the perfect weapon. He would help him become a Vasto Lorde and in doing so earning the boy's no the Hollow's trust. Next he would use the Hougyoku on him after he retrieved it from Kuchiki's soul and turn the boy into his number one Espada.

It had been a race against time since he would no longer be able to utilize the Soukyoku to retrieve the Hougyoku from Kuchiki Rukia's soul. He spent hours and hours searching for a way to remove an object embedded inside the soul. It was in the Underground Assembly Hall's Great Corridor of Spirit Documents that I found Urahara Kisuke's past research documents. It explained in minute detail how to embed a foreign object in a soul and so he surmised that the technology to remove a foreign object from the soul would also be somewhere among Urahara's past research. And he was right.

All they had to do now was wait for Kuchiki Rukia to arrive. Take her to Soukyoku Hill and wait.

"It seems our guests have arrived, Aizen-_taicho,"_ Ichimaru's voice called out from his right.

As Aizen looked up he could clearly see four guards approaching each holding a single red 'leash' leading to the same red collar which was bound across Kuchiki Rukia's neck. "So it appears, Gin," Aizen said, a smirk forming on his face.

As the guards approached the Shrine of Penitence they were startled to see three captains block their path. They were not informed of this. They were supposed to simply lock the prisoner in the Shrine of Penitence and leave two out of the four of them to stand guard outside. Before they could continue their train of thought however, the Captain standing in the middle spoke up. "Gentlemen, hand over the prisoner please. We will handle her from here," He requested with a friendly smile.

This Captain was certainly higher in rank then they were which usually meant they were supposed to obey the orders they gave. However their orders came directly from the Commander-General and he stood above even the Captains. It was clear these Captains were not aware of the situation.

"I'm afraid we cannot do that, we have orders directly from,-" One of the guards spoke up but was cut off as the same Captain spoke up again.

"Gin, Kaname," Were the only two words he said. Before the guards could even begin to wonder what this meant they saw two out of the three Captains dissapear. Just as he was about to ask what was going on here he noticed his eyes getting heavy, just before he closed his eyes completely he noticed the last remaining Captain standing in front of him, smirking.

=0=

Inoue Orihime stood amidst Urahara, Yoruichi, Isshin, Sado and Ishida in the middle of Western Rukongai mere seconds after the Senkaimon had closed itself off again.

The sight that greeted her was shocking. She had always believed Heaven to be a nice place. A place where all people were equal to one another. There would be an abundance of food. Children running around playing with one another carefully watched by their elders. Adults making light conversation and watching out for their children. Huge white marble houses at the side of the streets that were made of the very same marble.

Indeed, Inoue's fairytale vision of heaven was crushed into the ground forever. The houses standing at the side of the street, if they could even be called houses they were more like shacks, looked like they were ready to collapse at any given moment. Adults in rags were shouting at eachother as if their life depended on it. Kids that looked no older then eight years in the same ragged clothing weren't playing on the streets, no they were trying to steal food from the vendor's who were positioned along the side of the road. It was complete and utter chaos.

However as she noticed people staring at them she began to feel uneasy. Isshin however took the lead and starting walking forward towards the great white walls she could just make out in the far distance. She quickly decided to follow him.

=0=

Kuchiki Rukia stood before the man she had known as the _Gobantai-taicho[3] _Aizen Sousuke ever since she had joined the Gotei 13 and for the first time in her life, she was trembling in fear at the sight of him. Was this truly the gentle Captain she had known for years? This monster who so callously ordered the death of four prison guards merely because...

Yes, why? Why had Aizen done what he did? Why had he ordered these men who were lying face down on the ground covered in their own blood to be killed as if it were nothing?

"Kuchiki Rukia, you shall come with us," Aizen's voice interupted any further of her thoughts.

"W-why? What do you want with me!?" She yelled out, confusion and desperation clear in her voice.

"All will become clear in due time, for now, just follow us," Aizen said. A friendly smile on his face all along.

=0=

Shihouin Yoruichi stood before the giant of a Gatekeeper they called Jidanbo. It had been a while since she last saw him.

Taking a look over her shoulder she saw the rest of her little group of ryoka standing behind her. Well, she supposed she was the most suitable out of their group to convince Jidanbo to let them through without having to cut him up.

"Yo, Jidanbo. It's been a while isn't it!" She greeted the half-asleep giant.

Jidanbo, apparently having heard her stretched his arms before standing up straight and looking down at her. His eyes instantly widened. "S-Shihouin-sama! Y-You're not supposed to be here, you know that!"

Not surprised by his attitude Yoruichi replied. "_Ah_. I'm well aware of that. My friends and I need to pass through here, Jidanbo. I prefer not having to cut you up, they never did call me the Goddess of Flash for nothing," She said bored, picking at her nails.

Jidanbo meanwhile gulped, he couldn't just let someone through without a fight. But fighting Shihouin Yoruichi? No that wasn't a very good idea. "I-I have orders Yoruichi-sama, I can't just let you through like that!"

"See those guys behind me Jidanbo?" Yoruichi started, pointing a finger over her shoulder. "I'm sure you remember some of them. Do the names Urahara Kisuke, Tsukabishi Tessai and Kurosaki Isshin ring a bell? I'll tell you what if you let us through we'll leave you be and we won't tell a soul in Soul Society about what you did," She said, winking at him.

Jidanbo's situation was getting worse by the minute. Urahara Kisuke was the former Twelfth Division Captain while Tsukabishi Tessai was a former Captain of the Kidou Corps. Not to mention Kurosaki Isshin. His options were few and even if he were to fight them it wasn't like he would stand a chance. Besides, his code of honor would force him to let through anyone who managed to beat him. One way or another, Jidanbo reasoned, they would get through anyway.

Yoruichi couldn't help but smirk as Jidanbo turned aroun to lift the gate. She motioned to the others to follow her before making her way over to the gate herself.

Urahara meanwhile turned to face Tessai and nodded, as if to say, you know what to do. Tessai seemingly understood for he nodded back and after they passed through the gate he instantly started drawing an intricate symbol on the ground.

"_Heart of the South, Eye of the North, Finger tip of the West, Heel of the East, Carry the Wind and gather, Banish the Rain and Disband." _Tessai chanted,_"Bakudou #58 - Kakushi Tsuijaku!"_

While Tessai was focussing on the symbol drawn in front of him and was quietly murmuring what sounded like coördinates the remaining members of the ryoka group were confronted by a large group of Shinigami the moment they stepped through the gate.

Upon realizing who they were looking at however some of the veteran Shinigami among the patrolling group instantly ordered a couple of their men to report to the Commander-General.

"Kuchiki Rukia is standing at the bottom of Soukyoku Hill! She is being escorted to the top by none other then Ichimaru, Tousen and Aizen!" A voice among the Ryoka group shouted.

Now this confused the veteran Shinigami of the Sixth Division. He was certain he recognized three of the Ryoka as Urahara Kisuke, former Twelfth Division Captain, Tsukabishi Tessa, former Kido Corps Captain and Shihouin Yoruichi, former Second Division Captain and head of the Shihouin Clan. Yet there was one other Shinigami standing among them with what looked like a Captain's Haori draped across his shoulder, he did not recognize this person at all but he knew by merely looking at his face that he was not to be taken lightly. The three he did recognize were all Shinigami exiled for reasons he was not privy to.

Nonetheless this situation was extremely fishy. He realised the Ryoka were planning something with the Kuchiki that was scheduled for execution, the adopted sister of his own _Taicho. _On the other hand he had just heard them saying out loud that Aizen-taicho, Ichimaru-taicho and Tousen-taicho were apparently escorting her up towards Soukyoku Hill. It was already a known fact amongst most of the Shinigami in the Gotei 13 that Kuchiki Rukia was scheduled for execution in twenty-five days on top of Soukyoku Hill. Other then that it was known as well that she was scheduled to be moved to the Shrine of Penitence sometime today. Whatever the situation was, it appeared three Captains were acting on their own accord.

Urahara meanwhile was looking at the Shinigami who seemed to be in charged of this patrol squad. He looked to be deep in thought and Urahara knew it was because of the words he had heard Tessai shout earlier. Urahara decided he should use this situation to his advantage.

"I'm sure you realise who we are and that you do not stand much of a chance at beating us. Tell your Captain to meet us atop Soukyoku Hill. I would advise him not to come alone. Everything will be made clear there,"

As he said this he grabbed a hold of Sado, Isshin grabbed Ishida, Yoruichi grabbed a hold of Inoue and they quickly dissapeared in a flash of _shunpo._

=0=

Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni-Soutaicho sat in the First Division's Office when a messenger arrived letting him know a member of the Sixth Division had an urgent message for him.

Sighing he told the messenger to let him in. The Sixth Division member instantly went down on his knees and bowed his head in a manner of greeting to his superior. Yamamoto motioned for him to get up and quickly explain the urgency of his message for he had more to do then listen to messengers all day long.

"Yamamoto-Soutaicho, the exiled Captains Tsukabishi Tessai, Urahara Kisuke and Shihouin Yoruichi along with four other ryoka, one of whom appears to be wearing a Captain's Haori as a cape on his left shoulder have invaded Soul Society through the gate leading to Western Rukongai!" The messenger reported quickly, almost stumbling on his words and obviously afraid he'd say something wrong.

Yamamoto's eyes widened at this and that was not a sight one would often come across. He'd never known really what to think of the banishment of Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi and Tsukabishi Tessai. They were good Captains without a doubt and although Urahara was a bit of an oddball at times he truly was a genius. As the founder of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute Urahara had made many a great change in Soul Society. And now it seemed they had returned, and not alone either.

Yamamoto wondered what their goal could be, what did they hope to achieve by coming here? Being the realist he was he was sure Urahara realised they could not with the seven of them even hope to beat the entire Gotei 13's forces if it was revenge they were out for. So they must've come here for a different reason. Perhaps Kuchiki Rukia had something to do with this? Realising the messenger was waiting for a sign to leave Yamamoto gave him just that before giving the order to every Division to search for the Ryoka and capture them. He was sure there was more to this then one would think.

=0=

Aizen, Ichimaru, Tousen and Rukia appeared on top of Soukyoku Hill moments after Yamamoto, who was still unaware of anything other then the ryoka invasion, gave his orders.

"Quite the uneventful trip, wouldn't you say, Aizen-_taicho?_" Ichimaru spoke up with his trademark grin adorning his face.

Thinking back on their little trip from the Shrine of Penitence to the top of Soukyoku Hill Aizen had to agree with Gin. They had expected to run into some resistance atleast. It was generally known Kuchiki Rukia was to be moved to the Shrine of Penitence today. To see three Captains escorting her away from it would at the very least raise suspicion and sooner or later they had expected other Captains to interfere. Yet the only people they had come across before were those who had seen _Kyouka Suigetsu's_ released form before and could thus be put under it's complete hypnosis to make them believe they'd seen nothing at all or even make them believe they'd seen something completely different.

It was then that he noticed several reiatsu signatures approach the top of Soukyoku Hill. Several of which he instantly recognized. '_It appears our plan went a bit too uneventful after all.'_ Aizen thought.

"Aizen-sama,-" Tousen started but was cut off when Aizen raised a hand, motioning for him to stop.

"I am aware of it Kaname, it appears we have some guests, let us welcome them. For we don't have much time left."

The instant those words left his mouth, seven figures appeared in front of him. He smiled.

"Welcome, Urahara-san, Tsukabishi-san, Shihouin-san."

=0=

Kuchiki Byakuya sat in his office at the Sixth Division Barracks working on that which was the bane of every Captain's existence, paperwork. For even the seemingly emotionless Captain of the Sixth Division hated paperwork more then anything. Today however he appeared to be lucky as his 15th Seat who was supposed to be out patrolling along the Western Seireitei Wall rushed into his office.

"Ryoka have invaded Seireitei through the gate located in Western Rukongai." the 15th Seat as good as shouted at his Captain. As he realised his mistake he went down on his knees and bowed his head down towards the ground as if apologizing.

Byakuya meanwhile was puzzled. Ryoka in Seireitei and no alarm had been raised? Was the squad he sent out to patrol the Western Walls _this_ incompetent? Byakuya frowned at this. There would be consequences for their actions today, but for now, he needed to know what the situation was.

"Explain everything you know," He stated, his voice impassive as always.

And so the 15th Seat started explaining how his squad was on patrol as normal. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary untill they heard the gate crashing down in the distance as if someone had opened it and consequently had let it drop back down to the ground. They had rushed over to the gate to find a group of seven ryoka. One of said ryoka was drawing intricate symbols on the ground and was chanting as if performing a Kido. He explained about what he heard one of the ryoka shout concerning the three Captains and prisoner Kuchiki Rukia. Lastly the man informed his Captain of his assumption of three out of seven of the ryoka's identities as well as the mysterious fourth person. Byakuya, thinking this was all, motioned to dismiss the man however said man just stood there as if unsure if he should continue.

"_Taicho, _the ryoka Urahara Kisuke asked me to pass along a message. He said to come to the top of Soukyoku Hill and said everything would be explained there." After these words the man seemingly hesitated but continued after a short pause nonetheless. "H-He also...advised you not to come alone," The man finished.

After the Sixth Division Captain had dismissed the man he lost himself in his thoughts. Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, Tsukabishi Tessai and a mysterious fourth person who was supposedly wearing a Captain's Haori draped across his left shoulder. Byakuya never believed Shihouin or Urahara were guilty of these hollowfication experiments Central 46 spoke of. But Soul Society law decreed they were to be exiled and so that was how it had going to be.

Byakuya was confused as well. What did all this have to do with his sister, Rukia? And why were Tousen, Ichimaru and Aizen escorting her up towards Soukyoku Hill. Assuming it was the truth to begin with.

Then there was the fact that Urahara had told him not to come alone. Byakuya was confident about his skills. He didn't need telling to be sure he was one of the more powerful Captains in the Gotei 13. Yet he knew he would not stand a chance against all seven of them on his own.

Deciding on a course of action he pulled up his sleeve and started drawing square-like symbols on his arms, while thinking of the people he wanted this message to reach he started chanting.

_"Net of black and white, Twenty-two bridges, Sixty-six vestments, Footprints, Distant Thunder, Mountain peaks, spinning ground, night crouching, cloudy sea, Blue ranks, Fill the great circle and dash across the heavens! Bakudou #77 - Tentei Kuura!"_

Closing his eyes he spoke the manage he wished to convey to all Captains and Vice-Captains of Soul Society.

"Captains and Vice-Captains of Soul Society. I have received information that a number of seven ryoka have penetrated Seireitei's defenses and are currently awaiting our arrival atop Soukyoku Hill for reasons that are unknown to me. Three out of these seven are rumored to be the ex-Captains Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi and Tsukabishi Tessai. The other four have yet to be identified. I request immediate assistance."

Opening his eyes again he grabbed and put on his Captain's Haori and proceeded to move out of the Sixth Division Barracks. Someone was going to have to do a lot of explaining.

=0=

Kuchiki Rukia stood behind Tousen Kaname who held her up by the collar around her neck. This had officially become the most frightening day of her life. To start off with the seemingly gentle Captain Aizen Sousuke had pretty much kidnapped her with the help of Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname. She was then forced to follow them as they made their way towards Soukyoku Hill for reasons unknown. The few Shinigami they encountered along the way seemed oblivious to their presence. It was as off they didn't even see three Captains walking straight past them with a prisoner who was supposed to be on death row.

When all was said and done and they finally arrived atop Soukyoku Hill seven more people arrived, seven she knew all too well. These seven were Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, Tsukabishi Tessai, Inoue Orihime, Ishida Uryuu, Yasutora Sado and surprisingly Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's father!?

Rukia's heart dropped when she realized Ichigo was not among them however. Had he died after all? Had she said those harsh words to him, basically rejected him, for absolutely nothing in the end? All Ichigo's friends were here it would only be logical if he were with them! Something must've happened to him and Rukia couldn't help but feel bad.

"My, my Kuchiki-san, you don't look so good," Urahara said in his usual jovial voice.

Rukia glared at him in return. How dare he joke in such a situation!? However as soon as thought this, Urahara's expression became dead serious. Isshin, Yoruichi and Tessai stepped forward to stand by his side.

"_Aizen!"_ Urahara basically spat, "Hand over Kuchiki Rukia, your business with her is done,"

Rukia was surprised by the amount of venom in his voice when he spoke Aizen's name. She supposed there must be some history there.

Aizen however, merely smiled. "I'm afraid that will not be possible Urahara-san. You see, Kuchiki Rukia will be coming to Hueco Mundo with me, she possesses something that I want, as I'm sure you know,"

Rukia felt her heart drop. Hueco Mundo? Aizen was taking her to Hueco Mundo? What did this mean, had Aizen betrayed Soul Society? And what did he mean with the fact that she possessed something that he wants?

=0=

Urahara meanwhile was pondering what possible action he could take. He was counting on the reinforcements from Soul Society to arrive and hoped they would asses the situation properly. He knew they could not defeat Aizen with the four of them. And the truth was that the remaining three would be a mere hindrance. Urahara decided he had to stall untill reinforcements arrived.

As Urahara decided to draw his sword out of his cane the eyes of those around him widened yet they quickly followed his example. Urahara however would have none of this.

"Ishida, Inoue, Sado," Urahara said, turning his head, "Stay out of this, these guys are out of your league," He said it in a tone that assured them he would not accept no for an answer. They merely decided to step back and watch for the time being.

As Isshin joined him on his left and Yoruichi and Tessai on his right he looked at them once and nodded. They knew what Aizen could be capable of, Urahara remember it as it were yesterday. Aizen-_fukutaicho_ at the time, blocking a Hadou #88 with his own Kidou spell. It was unheard of.

Now they stood against eachother once more. Isshin staring at Tousen. Yoruichi staring at Gin, who was, ofcourse, grinning. And Tessai and Urahara staring at Aizen, wanting payback for what he did to them a 110 years ago. Aizen however, just stood there, his eyes twinkling.

=0=

The first to break the staring contest was Kurosaki Isshin. Drawing his sword, Zangetsu. The bandages wrapped around it magically unwrapped as soon as the sword left it's back. With a quick flash of _shunpo_ Isshin went around Tousen and went for a horizontal slice across his back. Tousen quickly drawed his own katana and blocked the strike by holding his blade over his shoulder vertically with seemingly little effort.

Tousen seeing an opening already decided to take advantage of it while Isshin was still close. _"Nake, Suzumushi[4]"_ Tousen whispered.

Before Isshin even got the chance to wonder what Tousen's Zanpakutou's ability was a high pitched tone was projected from Suzumushi. Forcing Isshin to his knees who dropped Zangetsu and grabbed his ears in an attempt to force out the sound. As he looked up he could see Tousen's lips moving but Suzumushi's piercing cry prevented him from hearing the words he was speaking. However when Tousen pointed his index and middle finger at Isshin, he realised he'd been a fool. It had been years since he'd even been in his Shinigami form and he went off to fight a Captain of all people straight away. Those were the thoughts swirling through Isshin's mind as six golden rods of light slammed into his waist, holding him in place.

When Isshin looked back up Tousen instantly dissapeared before his eyes and he felt a burning pain in his back. The last thought running through his head before he lost consciousness was how utterly pathethic he had just been. He vowed to return his fighting skills to their old level if he got out of this alive.

=0=

"Shihouin Yoruichi," Gin said, his standard grin in place, as always. "Goddess of Flash,"

After those words left his mouth Gin dissapeared in a flash reappearing behind Yoruichi who barely managed to dodge his horizontal slice by ducking.

Yoruichi instantly improvised, putting her hands to the ground and kicking her feet upwards expecting to hit his chest she was surprised to feel a hand wrap around her ankles as she was launched across the platform of Soukyoku Hill.

Gin, still grinning as always, merely watched her fly away. As Yoruichi reached a halt however he pointed his Zanpakutou at her._ "Ikorose, Shinso,[5]"_ At this command his Zanpakutou started to glow a bright white and extended out towards Yoruichi at an amazing speed. Yoruichi as creative as she was jumped up and started to run towards Ichimaru along the length of Shinso.

If possible Ichimaru's grin widened even further at this action. As his lips started moving, Yoruichi could just barely make out the words he was saying.

_"Hado #63 - Raikouhou,"_ Gin said rather bored. As Yoruichi jumped off to the side she watched Gin look into the same direction out of the corner of his eyes.

As she turned to see what he was looking at her eyes widened. Kurosaki Isshin was bound a by a Kidou spell, blood seeping out of seemingly fresh wounds it appeared as if he had lost consciousness.

But as she turned to look at where she was going to land she was shocked to find Tousen standing there waiting for her. When she saw his lips already moving she knew this could very well be her last few seconds alive.

_"Bakudou #63 - Sajo Sabaku,"_ Tousen words rang out and before she even reached the ground a golden chain made of Kidou shot out towards her and wrapped itself around her completely.

_"Ikorose, Shinso," _Yoruichi could only close her eyes and calm her breathing as she awaited the strike to pierce her back, straight through her heart. The strike came, she was surprised however when it came in her left arm and she cried out in pain when Gin twisted his sword arm around so violently she could hear her own bones breaking and her muscles being torn to shreds. Blood flowed down her arm as if it were a never-ending river. Yoruichi tried to ignore the pain but it proved impossible as she continued to scream the lungs out of her body. Ichimaru however didn't leave it at that, he violenty jerked Shinso sideways ripping the remaining skin tissue that was keeping her arm together apart. Yoruichi passed out a second later after which the Kidou holding her arm together dissolved and her arm fell to the ground.

_"Hadou #54 - Haien," _Were the last words Gin muttered before he turned to walk back towards Aizen as Yoruichi's severed arm was burnt to ashes.

=0=

Urahara and Tessai stood before an unmoving Aizen. Aizen was a powerful adversery and they knew it. Even with the two of them fighting Aizen together victory was not assured.

_"Okiro, Benihime[6]!"_ Urahara spoke, clearly tired of delaying the inevitable. His Zanpakutou became slightly shorter. A flat blade was formed with one half of the blade retaining it's orignal color while the other half became black. The tip of the blade ended in a slanted razor-like edge rather then being tapered to a point.

As he turned his head to nod at Tessai he found said man was already waiting to meet his eyes. Both nodded simultaneously, knowing what to do.

After their silent exchange Urahara immediately dissapeared only to reappear on Aizen's right side and go for a vertical slash at the side of his head. Aizen merely stepped back and, quickly drawing his blade, made a horizontal slice towards Urahara's mid-section which was blocked by Benihime.

_"Hadou #88 - Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raihou!"_

As Urahara heard Tessai's voice call out he instantly flash stepped away from Aizen. Knowing what direction Tessai's attack was coming from.

As the blast was closing in on Aizen Urahara noticed his lips were moving. Just before the blast hit Aizen however, he smirked. And was engulfed by a huge explosion not even a second later.

Urahara looked up in horror however as an ear-piercing scream cried out through the air. Taking a look around he saw Yoruichi there, bound by a Kidou spell with Shinso lodged in her arm which. Just as he and Tessai were about to rush over to her aid a black void appeared, seemingly out of nowhere and encased itself around them. A second later Urahara could feel hundreds of tiny spears piercing his body from every possible angle. Both he and Tessai dropped to the floor, barely conscious.

"Hadou #90 - Kurohitsugi," Aizen commented, with a smile.

=0=

Ishida, Sado and Inoue stood at the edge of Soukyoku Hill. The horror of the events they'd just witnessed clearly edged into the features of their face. As far as Ishida was aware Urahara, Tessai, Yoruichi and Isshin were all Shinigami at the level of a Captain. Nonetheless all four of them were batted aside as if they weren't even there. These fights couldn't even be killed a battle at all, it had been a slaughter.

Isshin had been the first to fall and although Ishida had been impressed with Isshin's speed he realised Isshin had not been in his Shinigami form for well over twenty years. This being the very first battle he fought he obviously needed some time to readjust. Fighting another Captain who is dead set on killing you obviously isn't the best warm-up.

Yoruichi on the other hand had held out for a while and Ishida could honestly say her and Ichimaru weren't too far off eachother in terms of power. The sneak attack Ichimaru pulled to force her towards Tousen had been cheap, but it was effective nonetheless. Ishida had to wonder though if this Ichimaru person enjoyed causing pain. Getting her arm ripped off like that was the most brutal thing Ishida had ever seen and her arm had been burned to ashes after she lost consciousness. She would never regain that arm that was one thing Ishida, sadly, was sure of.

And then there was the Urahara and Tessai against the man they called Aizen. They seemed to do alright and Ishida even thought they'd totally annihilated him with that Kidou attack. However as soon as they noticed Yoruichi's situation they dropped their guard to rush to her aid. Which appeared to be their biggest mistake. Ishida was unsure what exactly happened inside that black box, but he could clearly see stakes of Kidou being insert from the outside and from the way they looked as the box dissapeared he could make a pretty accurate assumption he thought.

On one hand Ishida believed Urahara, Tessai, Yoruichi and Isshin were all out of shape. He was certain Yoruichi could fight on equal footing with Ichimaru and Ishida believed that Isshin would've been able to do the same in his prime. The main thing that had gone wrong was the fact that Isshin went down so soon which allowed Tousen to come to Ichimaru's aid.

And now with all four of them down Ishida didn't even want to think about what was going to happen to them. Ishida knew he was strong enough to kill just about any normal Hollow excluding Menos Grandes. He knew there were plenty of Shinigami in Soul Society he could take down without any trouble but these...Captains they were on a completely different level. He couldn't even follow their movements let alone beat them in a battle. But he would protect Inoue and Sado, that he vowed, as he watched the figure named Tousen make his way to pick up the prone body of Rukia, before he did so however, he muttered something, placed his fingers on her forehead and her eyes closed.

Just as he was about to wonder if the reinforcements Urahara had spoken about earlier were even going to arrive at all, the silent rushing sound of _shunpo_ was heard all around the platform. When Ishida looked up he saw all seven remaining Captains of the Gotei 13 standing in front of them, with their lieutenants standing at their side.

=0=

As the Commander-General Yamamoto surveyed the scene in front of him he got worried. Before him lay the unconscious bodies of Shihouin Yoruichi, Kurosaki Isshin, Urahara Kisuke and Tsukabishi Tessai, all of whom the Commander-General knew all too well.

He was confident none of the three Captains standing before him would manage to defeat even one of these four figures in a fair one-on-one fight. Not with the abilities they displayed on their Captaincy exams atleast. Something more was going on here and he just knew that Aizen, Tousen and Ichimaru were right in the middle of it.

"_Gobantai-taicho, sanbantai-taicho[8], kyuubantai-taicho[9],_ what is the meaning of this?" Yamamoto spoke out loud enough for all to hear.

As Aizen looked up, he smiled. "_Soutaicho,"_ He greeted warmly. "We are leaving, that is all," Aizen finished kindly.

And all of a sudden Yamamoto understood. He had had an inkling things weren't right ever since Kuchiki Rukia was recalled back to Soul Society. She was to be retrieved by none other then Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji, a Captain and Vice-Captain respectively which seemed to be entirely unnecessary, a standard retrieval squad would have sufficed just fine. Then there was the fact that Kuchiki Rukia got sentenced for execution rather then imprisonment and execution by use of the Soukyoku no less. An execution method usually reserved for traitorous Captains.

Yes, Yamamoto was certain Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen had somehow been pulling at the strings of Central 46, the only piece of information Yamamoto was missing was for what they needed Kuchiki Rukia.

"Leaving? You are going nowhere, you will leave Kuchiki Rukia right here and you will be executed on the spot for betraying Soul Society, that is my decision," Yamamoto's voice rang out through the air, the anger clearly visible on his face.

Confused murmurs rang through the crowd behind him, it was clear not everyone had caught on yet, it would serve him best to convince the other Captains and Vice-Captains of this betrayal first.

"Tell me, Aizen, how did you convince Central 46 to do your bidding? What did you offer them?" Yamamoto asked, shock ran through the crowd behind him. Central 46, corrupt?

Surprisingly Aizen let out a slight chuckled before he started shaking his head. "Convince them? Offer them?" He let out another short chuckle. "I killed them,"

The tension was palpable in the air after this statement. Central 46 ,the ruling goverment of the Seireitei consisting of forty wise men and six judges had been killed? And noone had even noticed this?

"Impossible!" Yamamoto shouted, "_Ichibantai-fukutaicho[10]_ Sasakibe Chojiro has been to the Central 46 hearing room just yesterday to discuss a matter of the utmost importance concerning the First Division and he reported Central 46 would discuss the problem and come up with a solution in due time,"

"_Ah_," Aizen replied, "Ofcourse, that is what I wanted you to see, have you ever wondered why my Zanpakutou's ability is?"

"But ofcourse!," Abarai Renji yelled out, "You showed your _Shikai_ to all the Vice-Captains during our meeting!"

Aizen just smiled. "Indeed, that is what I wanted you to see. My _Zanpakutou's_ ability will work on anyone who has seen it's release even once. _Kyouka Suigetsu's_ ability is complete hypnosis. It can control each of the five senses to the point that it can make you see, feel, hear, smell or taste anything I want you to. All that is required is that you see it's release, just once." He explained.

The anger was clear on Yamamoto's face, as he too realised such a _Zanpakutou_ was the perfect weapon for deception.

"And you are both in league with him?" Yamamoto asked angrily, looking towards Ichimaru and Tousen.

_"Ah! Soutaicho!" _Ichimaru replied happily.

"These eyes see only the path of least bloodshed, to follow Aizen-sama's path, means to follow the path of justice," Kaname said calmly.

Angry cries could be heard from the Shinigami assembled. The main ones coming from Komamura Sajin, Hisagi Shuuhei, Kira Izuru, Hinamori Momo and Matsumoto Rangiku. Komamura however took it one step further and charged at Tousen along with Hisagi. However before they could even come within 30 feet of him. A bright yellow light erupted from the sky and shot down towards the three traitorous Captains. As the assembled Shinigami looked up towards the sky they could see it being torn open and the sight that greeted them was shocking to say the least.

Dozens of Gillian were looking down upon them and behind these Gillian they would look straight into a bright green eye. As the three traitorous Shinigami Captains ascended towards the sky, one with the prone body of one Kuchiki Rukia thrown over his shoulder Ukitake stepped forward.

"You've even joined hands with Menos, Aizen?" He asked. "For what reason?"

"To seek new heights," Aizen replied calmly, looking down at Ukitake.

"Have you fallen to the ground," He started, "Aizen?"

"Your arrogance is excessive," Aizen answered, "Ukitake. No one was standing in heaven to begin with. Not you, not me, not even God. However, that unbearable vacancy in the throne of Heaven will end. From now on," Aizen continued, taking off his glasses and pushing back his hair, "I will stand in Heaven."

"Sayonara, Shinigami."

"And sayonara, ryoka. I promise, you will see your friend again, soon enough," Aizen said cryptically as the sky closed up behind him and the other two traitorous Captains.

=0=

_[1]Senkaimon _- World Pentration Gate. Gate which Shinigami use to come and go from Soul Society to the Real World.

_[2]Rokubantai-taicho/fukutaicho_ - Sixth Division Captain/Vice-Captain

_[3]Gobantai-taicho_ - Fifth Division Captain

_[4]Nake, Suzumushi_ - Cry, Suzumushi

_[5]Ikorose, Shinso_ - Shoot to kill, Shinso

_[6]Okiro, Benihime_ - Awaken now, Benihime

_[7]Sanbantai-taicho_ - Third Division Captain

_[8]Kyuubantai-taicho_ - Ninth Division Captain

_[9]Ichibantai-fukutaicho_ - First Division Vice-Captain

_And another chapter done. Now before you start. Yes, I have given Kurosaki Isshin Zangetsu as a weapon. I personally enjoy the original weapons and releases the most by far so I will try to keep those things as close to Canon as possible. Since Ichigo is and will remain a Hollow for the entire story I didn't think it would hurt anyone to put Zangetsu in the hands of his father. Since we are now done with the stuff concerning Rukia, and the three traitors in Soul Society you can finally expect to see more of Ichigo and Nel again starting next chapter!_

_R&R!_


	4. Final Evolution

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach!

**Ligerheart:** I'm glad you enjoyed the fight scenes. It took me forever to get those the way I wanted and even then it still wasn't good enough for me! Anyway I'm afraid you must've misread because Nnoitra is still very much alive. However not to worry, I dislike Nnoitra as much, probably more then you do!

As for the reason Rukia was taken hostage. Well let's just that I have my reasons for that and they will most certainly be made clear in the future.

And no Isshin did not get Zangetsu because it was his son's weapon. Don't forget Ichigo didn't actually possess Zangetsu yet untill after his training with Urahara nor did he get in contact with his Zanpakutou spirit prior to that event.

And lastly yes. Ishida, Sado and Orihime were absolutely useless in Soul Society, as intended. I did not want to make some big long drawn out invasion. It's been written too many times and we've all seen it already in Canon. An invasion as quick as mine though would inevitably mean they would get to face Captains and as the training Orihime, Sado and Ishida were doing was interupted by the news of Ichigo's death they would not stand a chance against a Captain. Truth be told the only reason I allowed them to come along is because their friend died! =)

**Chapter 3: Final Evolution.**

Aizen Sousuke was sitting in Las Noches' throne room currently awaiting the arrival of the person who had kept them up to date about the happenings in the realm of Hueco Mundo for the past years.

Thinking back to everything that happened the last couple of days he realised some rest would be in order. For even Aizen Sousuke needed to sleep sometimes. But not just yet, Aizen thought.

As Aizen looked at the small crystal-shaped object in his palm he had to admit Urahara Kisuke was a genius. How such a small, seemingly insignificant object was all Aizen needed to realise his ambition. He could clearly remember how he had the extracted the Hougyoku from Kuchiki Rukia's soul. Surprisingly and at first much to Aizen's annoyance the Kuchiki girl actually survived the removal procedure. Urahara was a brilliant man indeed. Aizen had been tempted to simply have her killed but decided she might have her worth at one point or another. And so he had her imprisoned.

As the door to the throne room opened Aizen slowly looked up to see his agent in the Hollow world walk inside. As said agent approached Aizen's throne and bent down upon one knee Aizen smiled. Vasto Lorde were truly marvelous, they were generally a lot stronger then the average Shinigami Captain. The one in front of him currently looked quite a lot like what Aizen would imagined the Devil himself would look like. He was of average heighth, bare chested with his Hollow hole located where his throat should be. Two large black bat-like wings folded across his back with a large slim tail with a spike at the end. His hands ended up in sharp claws more then fingers and he had two huge white horns adorning the top of his head.

"Rise, Ulquiorra," Aizen started, "What news do you bring?"

"As you know there are roughly a dozen Vasto Lorde class Menos in all of Hueco Mundo, Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra started. "Most of them however are not sympathetic towards your cause. They encourage war against the Shinigami, however a war against the Shinigami side by side with another Shinigami is something they cannot fathom or accept."

"I see," Aizen said, "As expected. Have you managed to sway any of the Vasto Lorde to our cause at all?"

Aizen would've sworn he just saw Ulquiorra smirk. The usually emotionless Hollow just smirked. Aizen would've chuckled had the situation been less serious.

"Ah. Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra started, with the smirk Aizen suspected he'd noticed earlier indeed, "I have spoken with one of the older Vasto Lorde as well as one other senior Vasto Lorde among their group. Both are willing to join however the older one has one condition."

Aizen frowned at this but remained silent and motioned for Ulquiorra to continue.

"While he realises he will be under your command he will refuse to take orders from anyone weaker then himself," Ulquiorra explained.

At this, Aizen smiled. That was just the kind of attitude he could appreciate. "So, Ulquiorra, do these two Vasto Lorde have any names?" Aizen asked.

"Their names are Barragan Luisenbarn and Stark, Aizen-sama,"

"Very well, Ulquiorra. Make sure they have arrived in time for the initiation in three days. I will then create the very first of my Arrancar." With a wave of his hand he dismissed Ulquiorra.

As Ulquiorra left the throne room Aizen felt it was about time to pay a little visit to Kurosaki Ichigo and Nelliel Tu Oderschvank.

=0=

Running through the Menos Forest on his way back to the cave he and Nelliel shared he couldn't help but grumble about the fact she always had to be right. Everything she'd told him so far had been spot on without a single inaccuracy in her assessments.

Normally he wouldn't mind someone being right at all. Even more so he'd go as far as to say that he despised people telling him lies of half-truths.

In this case however he wished she had been completely and utterly mistaken. After the dozens of Adjuchas he had consumed, of which each of them could've easily consumed hundreds of souls as well his head was bursting from all the voices inside it. It was maddening at times. Luckily however he could without too much trouble tune out the majority of them so that it wouldn't be more then a soft although rather violent hum.

As he reached the cave and entered it he found Nelliel staring at him with a pretty serious expression. He could only guess at the reason for that particular expression but he had a pretty good idea what was the reason for it.

Over the last couple of days they had had some serious conversations and at one point Nelliel brought up something about a wandering Vasto Lorde recruiting the other Vasto Lordes and other powerful Adjuchas to server his master in a war against the Shinigami. Yet, apparantly his master a Shinigami himself. Nelliel told him the main reason she was alone at this point was because she, like one or two other Vasto Lordes had done, had left the group so that she would be harder to find. She knew how things would go eventually, the Vasto Lordes would either join the Shinigami, or they would be taken out. If you're not with me, you're against me.

As he got closer to her he nodded his greeting once and quietly sat down. She, ofcourse, immediately responded.

"Hey little Adjuchas!" She exclaimed while smiling brightly.

God she could be so annoying at times. If he could make a single wish he would wish for a proper name. Not being able to be called by your name was actually pretty annoying.

"So tell me, Nelliel." He started, "You left the Vasto Lordes because you did not want to be found but you realise that sooner or later they'll come looking for you. And as you said, they'll pull out the 'if you're not with me, you're against me' card. Which inevitably means that you'll die. Because no matter how powerful you may be, this Shinigami has other Vasto Lordes under his command. And sooner or later you'll fall."

Nelliel sighed. "Yes, that's about right. And just where are you going with this?" Nelliel asked, annoyed.

"Well," He continued, "If you can't beat them, why don't you join them? Is it because you'll have to take orders from a Shinigami? Is it because you'll have to fight?"

As Nelliel looked down to her feet she slowly started speaking. "No, it's nothing like that. As a Vasto Lorde living in the Menos Forest I have to fight too. I fight to fill up the void inside my soul no matter how hopeless it may be. And personally I couldn't care less about taking orders from anyone be it a Shinigami or a Hollow, as long as they are powerful enough I would obey them and even swear my loyalty,"

"Then what is the problem?" He asked, perplexed. "Because it looks to me like there really isn't one,"

"It is because I don't believe they're after me," She told him, with a meaningful look in her eyes. He immediately understood what she meant. However before he could even consider what she had just said the air around him started to shake and his breathing became shallow, he felt himself being pushed towards the ground by the greatest and heaviest reiatsu he had ever felt untill now.

He felt himself being lifted up by Nelliel, who ran outside and instantly halted again. Some words were spoken but he could not hear what was said or who it was said to due to the crushing force on his entire body including his ears.

Then suddenly as if it was never there to begin with, it dissapeared. As he opened his eyes he was met by Nelliel's face wearing a serious expression. He turned his head to see a Shinigami in white clothing standing there, a gentle smile on his face.

He moved to sit up straight against the wall of the mountain their cave was located in.

"Speak of the devil," He muttered.

The Shinigami however, pretended as if he hadn't heard a thing.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, Nelliel Tu Oderschvank." He started, and that did catch their attention. "My name is Aizen Sousuke and I have a proposition for the two of you."

Nelliel was the first to recover from the shock of hearing her 'little Adjuchas' being adressed with a name.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," She tried out, and she found it sounded pretty good. "Sounds good, so that's his name then?"

Aizen on the other hand was a bit confused at this, even though it didn't show on his face. He didn't know his name? Was he suffering from some form of memory loss perhaps?

"Ah. It is, were you not aware of your own name up untill now, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Aizen asked.

Ichigo meanwhile was getting more interested in this man by the second. Just minutes ago he had been complaining about not having a proper name and now this Shinigami comes marching up and adresses him by his name? How in the world did this man even know about him?

"No. I have no memories left at all apart from the ones I have gained in the last few days. The only thing I remember before then is being engulfed by a huge streak of blue light, before waking up in this cave where Nelliel brought me." Ichigo explained.

Ichigo had to admit. As he stood in front of this guy he didn't think it was such a bad person. Atleast, what he meant was this person was no worse then the regular Hollow. Hollow, Shinigami, does it truly matter? But damn it all to hell if there was one thing Ichigo wanted to know is how this man knew his name and what more he knew. And he wanted to know it right now!

"Tell me, Shinigami." Ichigo said. "How do you know my name and what else do you know of me?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Calm down, little Adjuchas," Nelliel warned him, obviously not used to the fact she had just been introduced to his actual name. "Aizen Sousuke state your proposition and we might consider it. However I suppose that if we refuse our alternative will be death?" Nelliel asked with narrowed eyes.

Aizen chuckled slightly at this. Causing Nelliel to growl at him. "No, not at all Nelliel Tu Oderschvank," Aizen started. "You are free to refuse my offer however I believe that you especially will be interested to hear my conditions."

Unconvinced, Nelliel raised her eyebrows. Motioning for Aizen to continue.

"This offer is open for the both of you, Kurosaki Ichigo and Nelliel Tu Oderschvank," Aizen started. "If you are to accept I will remove the barrier in your soul that separates Shinigami from Hollow." Aizen stated, dead serious.

Nelliel's jaw dropped. Was such a thing even possible? Would that mean she would turn into a Shinigami? Or something in between? Would she finally, after all these centuries, get rid of the everlasting emptyness she felt within her soul?

"This means you will be neither Shinigami nor Hollow. You will be Arrancar. And yes Nelliel," He stated as if reading her thoughts, "you will finally be rid of the everlasting emptyness in your soul that is the bane of every Hollow's existence."

Nelliel could hear herself gasp. She would be rid of the emptyness within her soul and it would never return again? It sounded like a dream come true and Nelliel knew she would do absolutely everything for that to happen.

"Will our evolution come to a halt?" Ichigo asked. Aizen inwardly smirked at this. Just as he had hoped. The boy does seek power.

"Yes, the evolution process inevitably stops at whichever stage you became an Arrancar at. Depending on how far along in your evolution you are the power increase in becoming an Arrancar will be bigger or smaller as well." Aizen explained, just as he noticed Ichigo was about to speak again, he quickly interupted him.

"However, in your case we have made an exception Kurosaki Ichigo," Aizen said, "You see, we plan to 'train' you up to Vasto Lorde by supplying you with powerful opponents at the very bottom level of Las Noches. After you finish the Menos evolution and have become a Vasto Lorde, I will allow you to become an Arrancar." Aizen finished.

"You should also realise though that the one condition to this privilege will be that you serve under me untill either yourself or I die"

Ichigo smirked. This guy sure liked conditions. But in this case he truly didn't mind. Turning his head, he locked eyes with Nelliel. Both of them nodded simultaneously.

"We accept your proposition," They said at the same time.

Inwardly, Aizen grinned.

=0=

Kuchiki Rukia was lying on her bed. The bed she was currently lying on was also the only piece of furniture in the small cell. She couldn't really tell time in here but she guessed about a day had passed since she was put in this cell.

Inadvertently she started thinking back to the day she was abducted. She remember watching helplessly as Urahara, Isshin, Yoruichi and Tessai were all brutally taken down. She could clearly remember Yoruichi's screams of agony in particular. She was sort of glad when Tousen-taicho, no, Tousen came up to her and put her to sleep. She didn't know what happened to Ishida, Sado and Inoue but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. If what happened to Yoruichi was any indication she didn't think she did.

Thinking of Inoue, Ishida and Sado eventually made her thoughts stray back to Ichigo. She was truly sorry for what she did to him. It was her fault he died and thanks to Aizen she didn't even get to attone for her sins. Thinking back on her time with Ichigo did made her smile though. It was much the same like thinking back on her time with Renji back in Rukongai, despite how tough they had it during that particular time, in the end they had a lot of fun. The same went for her time with Ichigo, despite how short it may have been, she'd had a lot of fun.

=0=

As Kurosaki Ichigo walked into Aizen's throne room with Nelliel by his side he couldn't help but notice that Aizen was not the only person in the room. On his right was a black man wearing a pair of dark shades dressed in a sleeveless robe that clung pretty tight to his body. Next to that man was a was a person with silvery hair falling in bangs over his ears and forehead, he wore much the same outfit as Aizen himself did however the most defining feature of this person was the foxy grin that seemed to be stuck on his face.

"Ohayo, Ichigo, Nelliel," Aizen greeted them. Ichigo was about to wave his hello when Nelliel grabbed his wrist and forced his arm back down. Sending him a meaningful look she turned towards Aizen and made a slight bow.

"Greetings, Aizen-sama," She greeted. With another look at Ichigo she indicated he should do the same.

Ichigo realised his mistake, albeit a bit late. This was the person he'd pretty much sworn allegiance to. Power came with a price-tag after all. He obediently mimicked Nelliel's earlier bow and greeting.

"Nelliel, Ichigo, I'd like to introduce you to some of your comrades." Aizen started, as he stood up and started moving in the direction of the black skinned man. "This," He said as he stopped in front of said man. "is Tousen Kaname and this gentleman next to him," Aizen continued pointing towards the man with the foxface, "is Ichimaru Gin. The both of them are to be treated with respect. In my absence it will be they who are in command."

As Aizen continued walking in the same direction Ichigo noticed a table with three more people seated at the end of it. Assuming those were another three people he was going to be introduced to he simply followed Aizen at a leisurely pace.

"This" Aizen said, having arrived at the table, and now pointing at a man with a black moustache, with his hair done into a pair of horns and seemingly had a fragment of a Hollow mask on his forehead. "is Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio. The current Tercera Espada."

Ichigo and Dordonii shook hands as Aizen moved to continue along the table. Ichigo however chose this moment to speak up.

"Tercera Espada?" He asked.

"The Espada are the very best of my forces, Ichigo. The ten strongest Arrancar will be allowed into the Espada. The Espada will possess certain privileges as well. For example being able to pick your own Fraccion." Aizen explained.

"I see, and I suppose their number refers to their strength? Which would make the first Espada the strongest, whereas the tenth on the other hand would be the weakest." Ichigo reasoned.

"Exactly, Ichigo. Now let us move on." Aizen said.

Nelliel meanwhile was emerged deep in thought. Something wasn't right here. Aizen said the Espada were his ten strongest Arrancar. Yet this Dordonii who was said to be the Tercera or third Espada wasn't all that strong. As a matter of fact Nelliel knew she could beat him without breaking a sweat. There was more going on here then Aizen let on.

Meanwhile Aizen had finished introducing the other two members of his current Espada. One was a purple haired woman named Cirucci Thunderwitch who was said to be the Quinto Espada and the last one was a rather odd looking man with a red afro-style haircut and a goatee. His name was Gantenbainne Mosqueda and he was the current Septima Espada.

"Now Ichigo, Nelliel," Aizen said and motioned for them to sit down at the other end of the table, "let us have some tea, and talk."

"Aizen-sama. I am curious, what is this method you talked about, when we spoke of my 'training' so to speak." Ichigo asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"As curious as ever I see, Ichigo." Aizen said as he smiled. "Very well then. I shall tell you. I have allowed several thousand promising Adjuchas level Hollow to reside at the very bottom level of Las Noches. On this bottom level, we have a pit in which one could, organize fights for example." Aizen explained.

Ichigo could see the direction in which this conversation was going. And heck he was liking it.

"As you can probably tell by now. We will put you, along with a couple of dozen weaker Adjuchas in the pit. Tell them that if they win, I promise them power. If you win, you get to devour them. As simple as that really. I am confident you will become a Vasto Lorde after five days spend in the lower levels of Las Noches." Aizen explained.

"Aizen-sama," Nelliel spoke up, gaining the attention of the two of them. "I am not stupid, but neither are you. Ichigo does not know how far the road to Vasto Lorde truly is. But I have personally experienced it. You cannot possibly evolve within your five day limit by devouring only mere Adjuchas no matter how powerful they may be." Nelliel stated.

Aizen chuckled. "Whoever said it would only be Adjuchas? No, I have a special treat ready for him-"

"You are expecting an Adjuchas to beat a Vasto Lorde? No matter how strong the Adjuchas or how weak the Vasto Lorde, that is something that cannot be done, and you are well aware of this I believe, Aizen-sama." She interupted.

"Nelliel, I have Ichigo's best intentions at heart, believe me," Aizen told her gently.

"Aizen-sama, I think it is time for me to know how you knew my name and what else you know about me," Ichigo said in a tone that let Aizen know it was important to the young Adjuchas.

"Very well, Ichigo," Aizen began. "A little over two months ago. A Shinigami stationed in Karakura town gave her powers to a human boy for reasons that were unknown to the higher echelons of Soul Society. Said human boy managed to drive a Gillian from the living world back to Hueco Mundo a mere month after he first laid hands on a Zanpakutou. The boy piqued my interests so I had him watched.

Now not long after the incident with the Gillian. Soul Society found the whereabouts of the Shinigami who gave away her powers and they proceeded to capture her to take her back to Soul Society. The boy however fought the Shinigami who came to retrieve her and lost." Aizen explained.

Ichigo had a puzzled expression on his face, he was certain the boy Aizen was speaking of was him but Aizen hadn't finished the story, there was more to it he was sure. He motioned for Aizen to continue.

"The last thing I heard about was the fact that a well-known exiled Shinigami took the boy to his home and the next thing I heard the boy died, turned into a Hollow and fled to Hueco Mundo," Aizen concluded.

Suddenly everything clicked in Ichigo's mind. The reason why Aizen seemed to have kept tabs on his human self. A human boy with Shinigami powers who managed to drive of a Gillian a mere month after he begun as a Shinigami. A Hollow who skipped an entire part of an evolution and started out as an Adjuchas rather then a normal Hollow. And the final piece, Hougyoku and Shinigamification. Aizen realised his dormant potential as a Shinigami must be just that, dormant, hidden somewhere in his soul. By breaking down the barriers between Shinigami and Hollow his potential would be realised.

"I see realisation has dawned upon you, Kurosaki Ichigo," Aizen commented.

"Ah. It has," He replied. "Although I would still like to know what exactly your intentions with me are."

Aizen smiled. He had expected the question. Although Ichigo had realised his own potential he ofcourse could not have known what Aizen meant to do with it. "I intend to grant you the rank of Primera Espada. I believe you are the only Hollow with a potential worthy of such a rank." Aizen said.

=0=

Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni-soutaicho stood at the head of his nine remaining Captains, ready to start this Captain's meeting at a moment's notice.

The psychological damage suffered in the divisions that were led by the Captains-turned-traitor had been shocking. Division members who had complete faith in their Captain felt betrayed, used and discarded.

Fifth Division in particular was hit very hard. Aizen Sousuke generally was a very popular man in the Gotei 13. He was liked by practically everyone and his own Division pretty much worshipped the ground he walked on. However that was not the biggest difference between the Fifth and the Third or Ninth Division. No, the biggest difference was that Fifth Division Vice-Captain refused to acknowledge the fact that Aizen Sosuke had betrayed Soul Society. She had not left the Lieutenant's Quarters in the last three days and to top it all off she had left the rest of her Division to rot and to fend for themselves.

Ninth Division on the other hand was training harder then ever. Hisagi Shuuhei, Ninth Division Vice-Captain had been hit hard by the betrayal of his Captain, Tousen Kaname. But instead of closing himself of from the rest of society he trained harder then ever, vowing to surpass his Captain and show him true justice.

And last Third Division under Vice-Captain Kira Izuru. Kira had needed a full two days to himself before he was able to show himself in public again. Although Ichimaru Gin was not the most popular Captain in Soul Society Kira was fiercely loyal to the man. Being betrayed by the person you hold in such high regard is a low blow indeed. Regardless after those two days passed Kira managed to get his Division back together and much like Hisagi he has been working very hard as of late.

This, however was not the reason for the current Captain's meeting. This Captain's meeting would discuss the fate of the ryoka since Central 46 had indeed been murdered in it's entirety just as Aizen said they had, Yamamoto had personally decided they would not reinstate a new Central 46 before the matter with Aizen was resolved and dealt with in it's entirety.

At that moment however the door opened and seven people walked in. Inoue, Sado and Ishida got in line next to Juusanbantai-taicho[1] Ukitake Juushirou. While Urahara, Yoruichi, Isshin and Tessai got in line next to Nanabantai-taicho[2] Komamura Sajin.

"Seeing as everyone is in attendance," Yamamoto began, "we will hereby begin with this Captain's meeting."

"During this Captain's meeting," Yamamoto continued, "we are to discuss the fate of the ryoka who invaded Seireitei. Speak now, explain your actions and perhaps your lives will be spared."

"We came to Soul Society and consequently the Seireitei to stop Aizen Sosuke from obtaining the Hougyoku," Urahara said. He had told the others earlier this day that if they wanted to live, they would have to go with his story. Stating the fact that they came here to rescue Kuchiki Rukia from execution, even if it was Aizen who scheduled the execution and not Central 46 would not do any good.

Seeing the puzzled looks on the faces of the other Captains Urahara continued.

"The Hougyoku is an item that distorts the barrier between Shinigami and Hollow. Basically allowing Shinigami to wield Hollow powers and Hollow to wield Shinigami powers thus creating hybrids. This item was made by me and I was aware of the fact that Aizen was after it." Urahara explained.

"So, then this entire mess is your fault, Kisuke?" Kurotsuchi Mayuri asked him, grinning.

"That depends on the way you look at it I guess. Is a blacksmith responsible for the people killed by the swords that he made?" Urahara asked, knowing the current Twelfth Division Captain would have no answer on that question.

And as predicted Kurotsuchi-taicho quickly dropped the subject. Ukitake however decided to ask the next question. "How did Aizen know where to find the Hougyoku and what does this object have to do with Kuchiki Rukia?"

"When I was banished for experimenting with Hollowfication which resulted in the Hollowfication of four Captains and four Vice-Captains I placed the Hougyoku in an unsuspecting soul in Rukongai on my way out of Soul Society. Said soul happened to be Kuchiki Rukia who later became a Shinigami. On that same note I would also like to add that it was not I who experimented on Hollowfication at the time. It was Aizen's actions that caused the Hollowfication of four Captains and Vice-Captains.

As to how Aizen discovered the Hougyoku was located in Kuchiki-san's soul I do not know. What I do know however is that he was the one who sent Kuchiki-taicho and Abarai-fukutaicho out to retrieve Kuchiki Rukia because, I believe, he was afraid he'd lose sight of her again." Urahara explained.

"Hmmm, you are dismissed," Yamamoto told them, "you will at a later date be informed of your sentence. For now I must ask you to remain within the First Division. We will have to consider this new information before we can come to a decision."

=0=

Yoruichi was walking around the First Division's Training grounds thinking about the past few days. Yoruichi realised she had been lucky, very lucky. She thought as she stretched her brand new arm. She hadn't believed Kisuke at first when he told he they could fix her arm up. She even went as far as to get mad with him because she thought he took pity on her for permanently losing her arm.

Afterwards however. Kisuke told her that he believed Orihime had the power to 'reject events'. So restoring a lost arm is not even such a big deal in her case. Yoruichi was amazed which ofcourse Kisuke immediately noticed. He claimed Inoue's power 'defied the realm of the Gods' which Yoruichi thought was true in a sense. The ability to reject events from happening was truly astonishing. They would definitely have to try their best at hiding Inoue's powers from Aizen, for he certainly would want to have those at his disposal should he ever find out about them.

=0=

Nelliel currently stood in one of the bigger courtyards of Las Noches, surrounded by Hollow of every caliber. All were waiting to be 'rewarded' by Aizen. If she knew Aizen however he would not even bother to look at half of the Hollow assembled here. He would probably spend a good couple of hours converting more and more Hollow to Arrancar if even that.

She wished Ichigo was here with her. It's not like she missed him or anything, Hollow were incapable of any form of true emotion so that was impossible. But she had gotten used to his presence and it felt a bit boring without him by her side.

Ichigo had gone down to the lower levels of Las Noches yesterday morning to start his so called 'training'. Nelliel thought it was rather barbaric but on the other hand she could understand Ichigo's desperation. As an Adjuchas the voices drive you completely insane and the worst part is that they will never stop unless you manage to evolve into a Vasto Lorde. A privilege reserved only for a very small amount of Hollow. She'd gone to watch him for a while though yesterday and she couldn't say it was exciting to watch. Ichigo may only be an Adjuchas but Nel was certain he was the most powerful Adjuchas she had ever come across. Back when she was an Adjuchas her powers hardly registered compared to his. She didn't even dare to think about how powerful he would become when he would evolve into a Vasto Lorde and finally when Aizen would turn him into an Arrancar. Despite his strength she did feel a slight pang of sadness for him. She got the impression he was being raised as a mere weapon, a tool, something to be used and discarded once it's use has ended.

As the door to the courtyard opened however, Nel's thoughts were interupted. Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen stepped inside and took their seats on the raised platform. Aizen in the middle, Ichimaru on his right, and Tousen on his left.

As Aizen sat down on his throne he raised his hands for silence, the murmurs in the courtyard quickly quieted down. "Will Nelliel Tu Oderschvank, Barragan Luisenbarn and Stark, please come forward?" Aizen announced.

Upon hearing those three names however, the courtyard burst out into loud yelling. It would be obvious to an outsider listening that the sudden eruption of noise in the courtyard was all about the three names just mentioned.

As Nelliel rose up to the stage people started whispering and pointing. Meanwhile the crowd in front of the stage started parting for the two remaining Vasto Lorde. As Stark came in sight people reacted similarly to Nel. When people caught sight of Barragan however the vast majority went as far as to stop talking at all and take a couple of steps back. It was obious Barragan's regime in Hueco Mundo had been a harsh one.

As Stark and Barragan joined Nel on the stage she nodded to them. Stark waved at her, Barragan on the other hand didn't even acknowledge her. As all three turned their attention to Aizen they could see the small diamond-shaped object he was holding in his hand. Aizen however seemed to be waiting for something as he didn't react to their presence in front of him. As if on cue a large black figure descended on the stage, landing right next to Nelliel. As the three already present Vasto Lorde took a better look at him they realized it was Ulquiorra. Stark and Barragan had been convinced by him to join forces with Aizen. Nelliel simply knew him by name. He was another Vasto Lorde after all, there weren't many in Hueco Mundo but the ones that were were more then aware of eachother's existence. Some living in groups and others on their own.

Aizen who had by now, risen from his throne, looked at the four individuals gathered in front of him. They were all powerful Aizen knew. He was confident each and every one of them was more powerful then the average Captain in Soul Society. Add to that the Shinigamification Aizen was about to grant them and there would be no Captain that could stand up to them apart from perhaps the Commander-General. He was certain he currently had four members of his future Espada standing in front of him.

Shifting his gaze towards the crowd in front of him he smiled. "Brothers and sisters. I have called upon you today to witness the creation of the first four Arrancar."

Aizen had to admit that he was unsure if the Hougyoku would work for him yet. It was supposed to take three months to awaken. However from Urahara's research Aizen had gathered the Hougyoku could be awaken briefly by a person who possessed about twice the reiatsu of the average Shinigami Captain, simply by pouring his reiatsu inside the Hougyoku.

Aizen stopped in front of Ulquiorra. As Aizen started to pour his reiatsu into the Hougyoku his power could be felt throughout the entire courtyard. He supposed this was another nice side effect from having so many people attending this little ceremony. The rumors of his supposed weakness would instantly be squashed after those who felt his reiatsu here today would spread the word. As the Hougyoku awakened Aizen quickly brought it in contact with Ulquiorra's forehead.

A bright green light formed around Ulquiorra, obstructing him from view. The light slowly intensified and started emitting a soft buzzing sound untill finally it died down. Before them stood a slender yet fairly muscular male Arrancar of average height with fairly short black hair. His Hollow hole remained close where to his throat would be and the remainder of his Hollow mask was formed on his head in the form of a broken helm. As he stepped forward Gin handed him a change of clothes and motioned to the door at the far end of the stage.

Next Aizen repeated the process with Nel and before he realized it a beautiful rather well endowed woman stood before him with long light green hair flowing all the way down untill her back untill her waist and a crimson line that stretches horizontally across her face right below her eyes. Her Hollow hole was located just above her chest a couple of inches below her neck and was rather small in overal size. Lastly the remains of her Hollow mask seemed to form a cartoonish skull on the top of her head. She too, took a change of clothes and headed for the door on the other side of the stage.

Aizen repeated the same thing with both Starrk and Barragan. Starrk looked like an above averagely tall man with dark, wavy and unkempt hair which was parted down the middle. The remains of his Hollow mask consisted of a bottom jaw positioned as a necklace. His Hollow hole was located right below the tip of his mask fragment on his sternum. What was unusual however was the fact that Starrk was not alone. Next to him stood a young-looking female Arrancar. Her mask fragment taking the form of a helmet much like Ulquiorra's only hers was actually intact the left horn was cut and she appeared to have sort of eyepatch extended from her helm over her left eye. A red flame-like pattern could be seen sported on her mask fragment and she had light green hair with a pink eye.

Barragan looked like an elderly Arrancar, which he was, with a large white mustache and white hair. He did look rather short. The remnants of his mask took the look of a five-pointed crown just above his forehead. His Hollow hole seemed to be located a few inches below his chest. Despite his aged appearance he looked rather stocky and muscular and was sporting a fair selection of his own battle scars.

As they headed down to the door at the other end of the stage with their own selection of clothing, Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen made to follow them. There was one thing they were all sure of, after having felt the power of these four new Arrancar, the first of the Espada had been born today.

=0=

**[1]Juusanbantai-taicho** : Thirteenth Squad Captain.

**[2]Nanabantai-taicho** : Seventh Squad Captain.

_Another chapter finished. As you can probably see the next couple of chapters are going to be in preparation for a bigger event. Let me know what you think! R&R!_


	5. Ascension

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach!

**Rin'negan Naruto:** No Ichigo will not have both a Shinigami _and _a Hollow Zanpakutou. He will possess only an Arrancar Zanpakutou.

**RyumaOmega:** To tell you the truth I am honestly not sure yet if I will add a Segunda Etapa transformation such as Ulquiorra's. The reason for this is mainly because I do not know how it is achieved, wether it is by chance or some kind of training. I could ofcourse make up how this is achieved but I feel that would be ruined if it were ever revealed how to truly unlock the Seguna Etapa transformation. Nonetheless, nothing is certain and it is still under consideration, I merely don't have a defnite answer on that question yet.

Concerning your second question. I answered this at the bottom of this new chapter so you'll have to wait and see for yourself.

**Chapter 4: Ascension.**

As Ichigo dodged yet another _Cero_ he quickly whirled around and stabbed his arm through the mask of the Hollow attempting to sneak up on him. Quickly discarding it's corpse he started charging a _Cero_ in his right hand and making use of his superior speed he sped towards the Hollow who'd fired one at him earlier. When another Hollow appeared in between Ichigo and his target Ichigo leapt over him and smashed said Hollow into the ground with his tail. With his path clear now he raised his arm upwards and as soon as he appeared in front of the Hollow who attacked him earlier he released the _Cero_ that was still charging in his palm.

When Ichigo looked around and took in his surroundings he noticed with a smirk that all of his new lambs, as he had taken to calling them ever since he truly began to realise they were only being sent down here as lambs to the slaughter, were currently either dead or incapacitated. Deciding not to waste anymore time he quickly took a glance at the windows surrounding the pit and then turned around to start devouring his newest victims.

=0=

Nelliel stood silently watching Ichigo from behind the one-way-glass in the waiting rooms of the pit at the most bottom level of Las Noches. She had taken to 'visiting' him a handful of times a day despite the fact that he obviously couldn't see her. Still, considering he had, once again, taken a glance at the window before starting to devour his newest preys she thought perhaps he knew more then he let on.

His 'training' as he had called it had gone pretty well until now. At first Aizen had taken to pitting about one or two dozen Adjuchas against Ichigo at once, said Adjuchas were meant to work together however as soon as Ichigo started wreaking havo into the ranks of the Adjuchas it soon became a free-for-all and it had continued as such ever since. For Ichigo it didn't matter anyway. As long as he was the one who came out alive in the end and got to devour their corpses it truly didn't make a difference.

Nelliel had to admit that for an Adjuchas Ichigo truly was a fearsome opponent. She'd taken to watching his strengths and weaknessess and managed to find out several interesting facts. First of all Ichigo relied mostly on speed. His speed was very impressive, Nelliel honestly had never in her whole life seen an Adjuchas capable of speeds such as Ichigo and it was even more impressive that he seemed to be able to harness said speed in battle very well. Another thing she noticed was that while most Adjuchas-class Hollow moved around like a berserker more then anything, hacking and slashing at everything within reach, Ichigo seemed to move around expertly, not wasting an ounce of energy or making any unnecessary movements. If Nelliel was asked if she believed there were any faults in Ichigo's style of fighting she truly wouldn't be able to point out a lot of them. One of them would possibly be that compared to a lot of the other Adjuchas and looking at the difference in power Ichigo should've been stronger strength-wise. Nonetheless, she knew he would make up for that when he finally evolved into a Vasto Lorde and subsequently be turned into an Arrancar. Other then that one of his most expressive skills was his regeneration. Most Hollows either lost or chose to lose this skill at one point or another during their evolution. Ichigo however had not only maintained it, he had somehow turned the skill into something differently yet the same. Normal and high-speed regeneration for Hollow is the same, the only difference being the speed at which it regenerates. Hollow can, with this skill, regenerate any lose limbs they please. Ichigo's form of regeneration however was far more flexible then that. It could regenerate stab wounds, destroyed organs, cuts, bruises, you name it. Nelliel did observe however that most of these kind of wounds only seemed to regenerate either by some completely random factor or, which was more likely, because Ichigo chose to.

At first Nelliel had been skeptical when Aizen mentioned he would manage to help Ichigo become a Vasto Lorde within five days. When the days progressed however she started to question herself on the subject. The opponents Ichigo was facing were all no lower then Adjuchas-level. Generally when an Adjuchas striving to evolve in the wild looks for Hollow he would devour anything he came across and truthfully you'd hardly come across more then two or three Adjuchas a day and that was if you went looking for them. Besides that that was even without considering the factor that any Adjuchas you came across next could be your last. Not everyone was as exceptionally powerful as Ichigo. No after having seen the rate at which Ichigo seemed to devour Hollow daily she started to question herself indeed. She knew Ichigo was just about halfway now and thus she also knew it would be impossible for him to make it by tomorrow. But she knew Aizen had something special planned, she just wasn't sure exactly what it would be.

"Magnificient isn't he," A calm voice spoke out behind her, a voice she knew very well.

Her eyes narrowed at his remark, which thankfully he couldn't see because she was still facing the window. It appeared Aizen considered Ichigo more of a piece of meat, a tool, rather then a living being. She intended to make Ichigo aware of this at the soonest opportunity.

"He is doing well, but you know as well as I do that he's nowhere near what he needs to devour to become a Vasto Lorde. Which makes me wonder what you meant by the special _treat_ you mentioned a while ago." Nelliel commented.

Aizen chuckled at this. "Always the perceptive one aren't you, Nelliel," He started. "I believe you will find out soon enough I do have a question for you though, Nelliel. A question only a former-Hollow can answer for me."

Nelliel turned her head around at this and raised her eyebrows at him. Signifying for him to continue.

"Consuming Hollow generally means consuming the reiatsu contained withim them, am I right?" He asked and when he received a nod from Nelliel he calmly continued. "This in turn would mean then, that consuming half a corpse would mean the Hollow that is devouring said corpse only receives half of the reiatsu he would have received had he consumed the entire corpse?" Aizen asked.

Nelliel inwardly smiled at this. It seemed their all-knowing leader wasn't as all-knowing as he claimed to be after all. "No, it doesn't." She started. "Despite how cruel it may sound it all depends on what parts are devoured. In the case of most Hollow, about three quarters of their reaitsu is stored around the area of their Hollow hole, another ten percenten is often stored behind their mask and the remaining fifteen is pretty much spread out around their entire body." Nelliel explained.

She had an inkling about where Aizen was going with this but she didn't plan to ask him about it. Aizen hardly ever answered in more then half-truths, and so she decided to change the subject instead.

"So, is the rest of the Espada coming along nicely?" She asked, actually quite interested.

She had been quite surprised when Aizen instantly offered her the spot of _Tercera_ Espada right after the innitation ceremony of the first Arrancar. As it turned out, for now, herself, Starrk, Barragan and Ulquiorra had been the only Vasto Lorde he had managed to gather. And so Aizen felt it safe to assume that they, along with Ichigo soon, would be his most powerful Espada. Nelliel found it interesting that Aizen had given him their numbers after a mere moment of closing his eyes and examining their reiatsu signatures. Starrk too had been surprised it appeared as he commented he had expected some kind of tournament since they hadn't even shown their released forms yet. She actually learned something interesting from the response Aizen gave them. It appeared that an Arrancar's _resurrección's_ power increase was based almost entirely on the amount of power an Arrancar possessed in their unreleased forms.

And so Nelliel now sported a big number three, tattooed on her back. Starrk had been granted the rank of _segunda_ Espada whereas Barragan and Ulquiorra had been given the rank of fourth and fifth respectively. Barragan ofcourse had to comment on the fact that he was more powerful then both Starrk and Nelliel and should be the _primera_ Espada instead. Aizen had dismissed his complaint instantly and told him his powers could hardly compare to the one's of the person Aizen had coming up as _primera_. This did pique Starrk and Ulquiorra's interest Nelliel noticed. But then, how could it not? Barragan was powerful in his own right and Nelliel could see the skeptical glance Starrk kept throwing at Aizen. It was obvious none of them were aware of his plans concerning Kurosaki Ichigo.

Ever since that day Aizen had spent a couple of hours daily converting Hollow to Arrancar. The last time she had heard Aizen had created about fifty Arrancar so far.

Each Arrancar was divided into a separate category. Most them were meant to become Números Aizen had explained, whom would basically server as the common footsoldier and were to be numbered from eleven to ninety-nine. Depending on when they were created rather then their power.

Next, the ten most powerful Arrancar in Aizen's army were to become the Espada. Ranked and numbered from one to ten, depending on their strength. The Espada in turn were allowed to pick any and as much Números as they wanted as their Fracción who were to serve the Espada that 'employed' them.

Then there was the Privaron Espada. The Privaron Espada was meant for any Arrancar that had previously been in the Espada but had been replaced by a more powerful Arrancar. Aizen told them that this rank would give them the chance to increase their power and if they could prove themselves more powerful then any current member of the Espada they would ofcourse be allowed to rejoin.

And finally there was the Exequias which seemingly consisted of only one member. The bull-headed Rudobón whose _Zanpakutou_ could spawn a seemingly endless amount of soldiers. The Exequias were tasked with the extermination of intruders and rebels within the dome of Las Noches.

_"Ah,_ Nelliel. I have almost completed the Espada and I intend to introduce them to you shortly," Aizen said, before turning around and walking away. However as he was just about to round the corner he turned to look at her over his shoulder and started talking once more, "If you wish to witness Ichigo's transformation. I suggest you stick around for a few more minutes. It won't be long now." And he walked again leaving her to wonder about just what he had meant.

=0=

When Ichigo had just finished devouring the last of the Adjuchas he had just beaten he wondered why there weren't any new ones being sent down. It wasn't that he minded taking a break but he felt he had little time left. Aizen had strictly told him that he would not be allowed many hours of sleep a day during this 'training' of him. And so far he had been allowed to sleep three times for what could have been more then three or four hours. He'd assumed that meant he got to sleep once a day and if this was his fourth day he was pretty sure he was nearing the end of it.

Assuming it was the end of his day and he was going to get a couple of hours rest he turned to sit down against the arena's wall. Just before he got there however a voice sounded from behind him.

"You have done well, Ichigo," Turning around Ichigo could see Aizen standing on the platform suspended in mid-air. Now, Ichigo was officially confused, Aizen made it sound as if he was done, before he could comment however another voice interupted him.

"Aizen-sama. Is this where the Shinigamification will take place?" As Ichigo looked closer he could see another person approaching Aizen onto the platform. Said figure had rather blackened skin with long messy black hair reached his shoulders. A Hollow hole located in his sternum informed Ichigo of the fact that this person was likely a Vasto Lorde, yet, what would he be doing here? As far as Ichigo was aware only Aizen himself and Nelliel knew of this place. Ichigo merely decided to observe to see what exactly was going on.

Aizen meanwhile, just smiled at the Vasto Lorde in front of him. _"Ah,_ it is. Please, come forward." Aizen asked of him. As soon as the Vasto Lorde got onto the platform however, Aizen smiled and started whispering silently.

_"Bakudou #99, Part 1 - Kin."_ Aizen whispered as he pointed a finger towards the man.

Black chains instantly appeared and wrapped itself around the man's arms and legs and eventually his entire body except for his head. Said man looked at Aizen with an angry and enraged expression and tried to free himself from the Kidou without any succes. Before the man got a chance to voice his protest however he was cut off from view as a black box was formed around him and black reiatsu seemed to pour into the box.

_"Hadou #90 - Kurohitsugi."_ Aizen said with an evil smile on his face. As the box vanished a battered and bloody Vasto Lorde lay on the floor at Aizen's feet. An evil smile was plastered on Aizen's face as he looked at the body at his feet, it was obvious the Vasto Lorde was having trouble breathing.

"You are as weak as you are ignorant," Aizen started. "Did you truly believe that with four other Vasto Lorde among my ranks. I would not find out if one was sent to spy on me?"

"Regardless, your timing is excellent," Aizen commented with a grin on his face. The surprised expression remained on the Vasto Lorde's face as the lights in his eyes died out and his body fell to the floor with a dull thud. His head held in Aizen's hand. Blood from the neck dripping onto the cold stone floor.

Ichigo could only stare at Aizen as he just disposed of a Vasto Lorde without any visible effort. Granted, the Vasto Lorde was taken by complete surprise but that in itself was a feat worthy of recognition. Vasto Lordes weren't meant to be taken by surprise.

As Aizen turned back to look at him his face once again held that ever present calm expression. "Ichigo," Aizen started as he bowed down to pick up the now headless Vasto Lorde. "Your training is over," Aizen commented and Ichigo's face turned to confusion for only a brief second before Aizen threw the body down on to the arena floor. "_Itadakimasu[1]"_ Were the last words Ichigo heard before Aizen dissapeared from view.

Ichigo stood staring at the corpse in front of him, his surprise lasted only a moment before it turned to excitement. A Vasto Lorde, here in front of him lay a Vasto Lorde and it was his to devour. Ichigo was sure of it, the moment was here and this was the last piece of the puzzle he needed to achieve his goal.

As he made his way over to the corpse he turned to look at the window at the arena's edge once more. He was certain Nelliel had been here to watch him multiple times. It appeared to Ichigo that anything or anyone standing behind the glass automatically had it's reiatsu hidden yet Ichigo had managed to catch a small sliver of what felt like her reiatsu a handful of times. He didn't know if she was watching now but he definitely hoped so. If anyone deserved the right to witness his transformation it would be her. He would never admit it but he was sure that without her help back when he first mysteriously arrived in the Menos Forest he would've been devoured before he even woke up. Apart from that she was the only person he would ever consider good company.

Moments after Ichigo reached the corpse he bent down and relentlessly delved into his meal. Ripping and tearing at the corpse of the Vasto Lorde like a madman and swallowing pieces of meat as if his life depended on it. The sensation it created was something completely out of this world, it unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. He could always feel his reiatsu increase when he devoured a Hollow but it was never like this. Now he could feel the power coursing through his body. Even more then that, he could feel it flowing out of him, engulfing him and without warning it exploded outwards in a huge explosion of red and black reiatsu which shook the entire bottom level to it's very core. Cracks started appearing on the walls left and right and the glass behind which Nelliel had been watching was shattered to pieces. The air was so heavy with reiatsu one could actually hear it pulsing all around them. As Ichigo finally managed to reign his reiatsu back in he turned to look at Nelliel.

Nelliel meanwhile was staring at Ichigo in morbid fascination. He had done it, albeit with help but he had become a Vasto Lorde. And God was he powerful. She didn't think she could name a single Vasto Lorde with as much power as Ichigo seemed to posses, if the reiatsu he just let out was anything to go by.

And now here she stood staring at his form. As she looked him up and down she had to admit he looked positively intimidating. His legs were hidden from view by a tattered piece of cloth hanging from his waist seemingly bound by another tattered piece of black cloth that was holding it in place. His feet and long sharp toe-nails which resembled claws more then toes were the only thing visible below his waist. Above the waiste his entire chest was left bare, his chest was without a doubt very defined. It weren't the muscles of a brute either but the kind of a fast but powerful fighter, enough, but not too much. The top of his chest was entirely covered in intricate red markings originating from the Hollow hole in the middle of his chest and seemed to form some sort of cross which even went was as far as to reach his shoulders. But the most intimidating of all was without a doubt the mask. It still resembled a human skull most of all but instead of only covering his face it went as far as to cover the sides of his head and even the biggest part of the back of his head except for the very bottom out of which long messy orange hair flowed down to reach his waist. Two huge black bull-like horns portruded from the side of the mask. Again, the same intricate red markings could be seen sported all over the mask.

"Well? Say something," Ichigo's voice rang out.

She couldn't help but smile at the fact that he was still Ichigo after all. She'd wondered if he'd suffer from any serious personality changes but so far so good.

"I suppose a congratulations is in order," She said, smirking.

_"Ah,_ congratulations." Ichigo replied in her stead.

Now she was confused and a bit annoyed as well. She just had her congratulations brushed off and then proceeded to get congratulated herself for some reason. Confusion was clearly showing on her face because Ichigo decided to solve her dilemma for her.

"The last time I saw you, you clearly had four legs," He said, sounding amused, "Now, I see only two. So congratulations."

She nodded at him, smiling. No he hadn't changed after all. At least, not for the worse, he seemed to be more open going towards her. She was sure she was going to enjoy finding out just how much he had changed. But first she would drag him back to Aizen and get that ridiculously frightening looking mask of his face.

=0=

Urahara, Yoruichi, Isshin, Tessai, Inoue, Ishida and Sado stood gathered before the Senkaimon back to the living world. The last few days had been boring to say the least. As ryoka they were all confined within the First Division's Grounds untill their fate had been decided upon.

Just last night another Captain's meeting was held and they had been asked to attend. As such they had and had found that their reasons for barging into the Seireitei uninvited were understandable and some even found them commendable.

During the very same meeting they had all been asked to participate in the upcoming war one way or another. They were free to stay out of it if they wished but all intended to participate rather then watch from the sidelines.

Ishida, Sado and Orihime had been charged with the first line of defense of Karakura town from mostly ordinary Hollow.

Another surprising revelation was that the Captain-Commander had revoked the banishment of Urahara Kisuke, Tsukabishi Tessai and Shihouin Yoruichi for due to recent events he found Urahara's explanation about what happened to be sufficient. The banished Captains and Vice-Captains however would not have their exile revoked for the sole reason that Soul Society does not allow Hollow entities to live within it's realm.

And so Urahara found himself staring into the blue depth of the Senkaimon. Looking at his comrades he received a nod from each of them, signifying they were ready to go home. Taking one last glance over his shoulder he stepped forward, into the Senkaimon. He was certain, this would not be the last time he would set foot in Soul Society.

=0=

Looking himself over in the mirror he had to admit that atleast he looked more civil now. He had liked his former look though, although Nel did have a point when she said he looked like a barbarian that way he just thought it was manly.

But who was he to complain about the way he looked when he had felt the power increase himself. Oh yes, Kurosaki Ichigo was more then satisfied. He had never believed it possible to achieve a level of power so high. He was confident in his skills. He was sure that among every single soul in Las Noches there was only one that might be more powerful then he was. And that was Aizen Sousuke himself, the man he had sworn his loyalty to.

As he looked himself over once more in the mirror he had to admit he liked his hair more the way it was now, almost reaching his shoulders. He guessed it was _kinda_ feminine as long as it was when he was still a Vasto Lorde. "Then again I looked so tough no one would dare tell me I looked feminine." He grumbled.

But if there was one thing he definitely liked about his new appearance then it would be the remnants of his Hollow mask. His Hollow mask were actually a pair of bone earrings. One on each ear, hanging on the small circular earring was a long sharp-looking teeth, the teeth hanging from the earring on the left ear signifcantly larger then the one hanging from his right. He liked it, it was simple and Ichigo personally thought that the more simple the mask the more he would resemble a human. He would never want to be a human, but as Hollow were nothing but beasts that relied solely on instinct he much prefered to be viewed as a human.

He quickly moved to grab his clothes realising he would probably run late if he didn't hurry up. His clothes consisted of the standard Arrancar uniform with the only difference being that as a top he wore a thin, sleeveless vest with a higher collar, it was much like the one Tousen wore except Ichigo had a collar that ran up to cover all the features up to and including his mouth. His _Zanpakutou_ he wore on his left hip. Straightening his collar, he turned on his heel and moved towards the chamber Aizen had instructed he meet him at.

=0=

As soon as Ichigo entered the room he was surprised to find he wasn't the only one there. The room was entirely bare except for a table with one seat at the head of it and five at each side of the table. All seats were currently vacated except for the one at Aizen's right, next to Nel, one would almost think she did it on purpose.

When Ichigo sat down a large bald guy spoke up. "What's this guy doing here? Who does he think he is sitting down next to Aizen-sama!?"

Ichigo merely stared at the guy with a bored expression. Who was this idiot making such a ruckus over something so trivial? Then again, looking at him Ichigo doubted he had a lot in the brains department.

"Hey, I'm talking to you idiot. Who do you think you're looking at?" The oaf yelled, enraged.

The rest of the Arrancar along with Aizen merely watched the proceedings silently. Obviously interested in this new arrival and curious as to how he would react.

Ichigo once again looked at the big guy, only this time he looked him straight into the eyes with a very serious expression. "You asked who I was?" He began. "Kurosaki Ichigo, your superior," He finished as his face once again took on a more calm expression. "Now do us all a favor and don't embarrass yourself any further by keeping that mouth of yours shut."

Just as the oaf was about to make a retort however Aizen stood up. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of the Espada."

He looked at each of them and most of them nodded in greeting. As he was about to continue Gin and Kaname entered to stand by Aizen's side.

"Couldn' jus' miss the introduction of the Espada, could we now?" Gin stated, grinning.

Aizen however continued as if nothing happened.

"Let me introduce to you, our newest and last member of the Espada, Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen said.

"Kurosaki eh? So what's his number?" the oaf once again interupted.

"Since there is only one spot that is vacant, Yammy, it wouldn't be too hard to guess what his number is. That aside you should realise that since you, as the Décima are outranked by everyone present perhaps you should act a bit more respectful." A black haired Arrancar with a mask fragment resembling a broken helmet replied.

Yammy, as the oaf's name was apparently, meanwhile was staring at Ichigo with his mouth hanging open. Clearly he realized his mistake as he didn't seem to make a move to reply to that. And even if he would want, he was denied the opportunity as Aizen resumed speaking.

"_Ah._ Kurosaki Ichigo is our _Primera[2]_ Espada and I assure you he is most deserving of the spot." Aizen stated.

"Tch. He doesn't look all that powerful to me." A thin man with sleek black hair and an eye patch commented.

Before Ichigo could respond however, someone else did so for him. "Nnoitra, you do not want to...upset, this man. After the beating I gave you before do you truly believe he isn't powerful when I know for a fact that I hardly stand a chance again him." The high pitched voice of Nelliel rang out.

Ichigo looked at Nelliel with a searching gaze. He didn't mind her standing up for him, not really. If it was anyone else he would beat them down instantly but not her. On the other hand he didn't need nor want her to fight his battles for him.

"You sound as if you know him." A bored voice rang out from the man on Aizen's left.

Ichigo thinking enough was enough decided to end things there. "Enough. I believe Aizen-sama called us here for a reason." Ichigo's voice rang out with a certain air of authority in it.

"_Arrigatou,_ Ichigo." Aizen replied. "We have gathered here today so that I may share with you some information on topics concerning the Espada. But first, you will introduce yourselves once more so that Ichigo may know your names and rank."

Most of the Espada shrugged at this as Aizen motioned for the man in front of him and on Aizen's left to start things off. The man had messy, shoulder length brown hair, a bored look on his face and a mask fragment in the form of a necklace resembling a lower jaw. "Starrk, _Segunda[3]_ Espada."

Next to him sat an elderly man with a white moustache and white hair. A five-pointed crown stood atop his forehead and the man sported several large and smaller battle scars. "Barragan Luisenbarn, _Cuatro[4] _Espada." The man grumbled, obviously annoyed.

To the left of the elderly man sat a man with shoulder length pink hair with amber eyes. He looked rather young and his mask fragment took the shape of rectangular-framed glasses. "Szayel Aporro Granz, _Octava[5]_ Espada."

Next to him sat the thin man with the eyepitch that had spoken earlier. The man Nelliel had called Nnoitra. "Nnoitra Jiruga, _Sexta[6]_ Espada." The Espada stated with a bloodthirsty grin on his face.

Next to Nnoitra was the big oaf that had been called Yammy earlier. The Décima apparently. "Yammy Rialgo_, Décima[7]_ Espada."

Opposite of Yammy sat the black haired guy with the broken helmet as his mask fragment. Another recognisable feature, Ichigo noticed, were the green lines below his eyes that seemed to resemble tear tracks. "Ulquiorra Schiffer, _Quinto[8]_ Espada."

On his left sat sat a man with light-blue spiky hair, the only other recognizeable feature about this guy would be his mask fragment which appeared to be his right jawbone. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, _Séptima[9]_ Espada."

On the left of the blue haired man sat a weird looking guy dressed in some sort of dress garb that covered his entire body. His face appeared to be covered by an odd looking elongated mask. "Aaroniero Arruruerie, _Noveno[10] _Espada."

Next to him sat Nel who, when it was her turn to introduce herself, simply looked at him with a bright smile. "Nel, _Tercera[11]_ Espada." Ichigo smirked at this. Her sentences often carried double meanings. If Ichigo interpreted it right he was sure she, by not stating her full name, just subtly gave him permission to call her Nel from now on.

=0=

Ichigo walked around his quarters, admiring the size and comfortability of them. He had to admit, he was very glad to have his own quarters such a these. His quarters consisted of three large rooms. One served as a bathroom, another served as a large bedroom while the large one seemed to serve as a big sitting room.

When Ichigo heard someone knocking on his door he walked over to open it. As soon as Ichigo opened the door he was knocked over by none other then Nelliel who instantly jumped him and proceeded to hug the living daylights out of him. When Nel finally let go, grinning as if she'd won a lottery, Ichigo noticed she wasn't alone.

Two other Arrancar were standing in the doorway. One of average height with sleed blonde hair and another of equal height height, a bit on the chubby side and a bald head. Looking at Nel he raised as eyebrows.

Sensing the unasked question Nel motioned for her _Fracción_ to come in. "Pesche, Dondochakka, I want you to meet a dear friend of mine." Nel started. "This is Kurosaki Ichigo, a dear friend of mine." She finished with a smile.

Pesche and Dondochakka responded by bowing towards Ichigo. "So, you are Nel's _Fracción _then? It's nice to meet you." Ichigo said casually before leading them over to his sitting room.

During the Espada meeting earlier Aizen had informed them of the fact that they could feel free to take as many _Fracción_ as they wanted as long as they were only Arrancar from the _Números_ category. Ichigo had considered it briefly but couldn't come up with a reason of why he would need a servant and he certainly wasn't in need of any friends.

Well that wasn't entirely true. He actually considered Nel his friend and a very dear one at that. It was another thing he noticed when Aizen had turned him into an Arrancar. Not only did the void in his soul dissapear completely. He gained a whole arsenal of emotions he was previously unused to and had to take some time to adjust to them. Eventually he figured out that Nel had truly become an important person in his life, though he'd never flat out admit that ofcourse. He had a reputation to uphold after all!

Another interesting thing Aizen and the Espada had discussed during their meeting was their Aspects of Death. Each Espada would hold the title of one certain Aspect of Death. Aizen had asked them all on the spot to think of a certain cause of death that would fit with their personalities. Within minutes, everyone had been done, they'd written their prefered Aspect on a piece of paper and handed it over to Aizen.

As he reached the sitting room he motioned for Nel and her _Fracción_ to sit down while he made some tea. He once more thought back of the Espada meeting which finished only two hours before.

Aizen had explained to his Espada, the two rules within Las Noches. The first rule was that no Espada was allowed to make use of their _Gran Rey Cero_ under the dome of Las Noches as said technique was so destructive the backlash alone could potentially destroy the palace. The second rule was that no Espada ranked five or higher was allowed to release their _Zanpakutou_ within Aizen's palace. Ichigo personally believed the second rule was meant mostly for those Espada who had previously been Vasto Lorde class Hollow.

Another interesting couple of things Ichigo had learned was that he was basically allowed to command lower ranked Espada when the situation called for it and if he was send on a mission along with other Espada he would always be in command, unless Aizen himself or in rare occassions Tousen or Ichimaru came along to assume command.

Aizen had explained that most of the missions within Hueco Mundo itself would be left for Ulquiorra who could choose any member lower ranked then five to his choosing to acconpany him.

After that Aizen had concluded the meeting and asked Ichigo to meet him early in the morning tomorrow. Ichigo had no idea why Aizen wanted to see him but he would oblige. He vowed to serve Aizen after all.

When the tea was finished he put the cups on a plate and brought it over tot he small table in the middle of the room after which he took a seat next to Nel.

"So, how come you didn't pick any _Fracción_ yet Ichi?" Nel asked, innocently.

Ichigo had expected the question but was still annoyed by the makeshift nickname she added at the end of it. She'd taken to using that for a while now and while he would never let anyone get away with calling him that he could bear with her doing it as long as she refrained from mentioning it when others were around.

"I'm not planning to take any _Fracción_ Nel. I'm sure you know me well enough to have guessed as much. I would not want to disgrace a perfectly fine _Números_ by degrading them to my servant." Ichigo explained.

Pesche and Dondochakka instantly jumped up at this. "We are not disgraced! We are extremely happy to serve Nel-sama and,-"

But they were cut off as Nel raised her hand for silence. "Dondochakka, Pesche." She started. "You misunderstood my friend. He didn't mean to offend you. I do not see you as my servants, I see you as my friends. I have told you this before and I know for a fact Ichi was aware of this as well meaning he wasn't referring to you." She finished with a smile.

Dondochakka en Pesche instantly deflated and bowed their heads in apology before sitting down again. Ichigo merely smiled at them, they were an amusing duo he thought.

"I didn't exactly expect you to pick any _Fracción_ Ichi but don't you think it'd do you good? You're so closed off sometimes." She grumbled clearly annoyed.

Ichigo merely chuckled at her antics. "I'm sorry Nel. I value your friendship and company very much but I don't think I would want an army of so-called 'friends' following me around and worshipping me simply because I am the _Primera_." He explained.

Nel had to think about that. She guessed he did have a point. Among Arrancar there were plenty of people who would 'befriend' others, to gain a better status themselves. Not that there even was a big amount of Arrancar capable of 'befriending' to begin with. On the other hand, she was glad to hear Ichigo admit he valued her friendship and she hoped he would someday consider her _Fracción_ his friends as well.

"So, Ichi, Aizen sent you on a mission to the real world tomorrow didn't he?" She asked, changing the subject.

"_Ah._ It appears that when he betrayed the Soul Society a small amount of ryoka invaded the Soul Society and intended to stop him. Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen stopped four out of the seven ryoka but before they could test the strength of the other three the Captains showed up and they had run out of time." Ichigo explained.

"So basically Aizen wants you to go to the real world merely to test the strength of the remaining three? See if they could be any potential threat?" Nel asked him.

"Yea that's basically what I'm doing. Sounds rather boring to be honest and even worse is the fact that I'm supposed to take one of the lower five with me." Ichigo grumbled.

Nelliel giggled at this. "You truly don't like any of them do you?" She asked, clearly amused at the face he made.

"Tch, they're all annoying. Yammy is a loudmouth. Aaroniero simply freaks me out with that hat of his. Szayel is just some completely mad scientist, I honestly don't want to know what kind of stuff he's up to in his free time. Grimmjow's arrogance knows no boundaries and Nnoitra is a chauvinistic pig." Ichigo explained.

Nelliel let out one last chuckle before straightening her face and replying. "Well I suppose you do have a point. The lower five certainly don't have the best of manners, I'm glad atleast we don't have to eat together with them." She said with a smile.

Ichigo chuckled at this. "Say Nel. If I asked Aizen for permission tomorrow morning. Would you come with me to the real world instead?" He asked.

Nel meanwhile was surprised. She knew he'd told her earlier that he valued her company. Yet for some reason she didn't think it'd go as far as ditching Aizen's orders and ask him permission to take her with him instead. Still, she was glad.

"Ofcourse Ichi, I would gladly." She started. "But I am getting rather tired and will call it a night. Speak to you in the morning Ichi." She said as she got up.

Pesche and Dondochakka in turn stood up as well and bowed to him before quickly following their master.

"Oi, Pesche, Dondochakka, was it?" Ichigo called out to them. Causing them to halt and turn around to face him entirely. Nelliel stood behind them watching whatever it was Ichigo was doing.

"Take care of her in my absense alright," He added with a wink. Causing Nelliel's eyes to widen in surprise. Before she got a chance to reply however. Ichigo stood up from the couch and walked over to his bedroom door. Just before he closed the door she could hear him call out goodnight.

=0=

Ichigo meanwhile was standing in his bedroom. He was a bit annoyed at himself. He remembered himself saying countless times before that he valued Nel's company but that he would never actually admit it to anyone. Today however he had just admitted to Nel herself of all people that he valued both her company _and_ her friendship. Ichigo chuckled slightly before lying down on his bed. That woman did weird things with his head, he decided before going to sleep.

=0=

Kurosaki Ichigo pushed open the huge marble doors to the throne room of Las Noches where Aizen was already waiting for him, Ichimaru and Tousen at his side. Ichigo slowly made his way over to Aizen's throne and when he reached it, kneeled down and bowed his head in greeting.

"Rise, Ichigo." Aizen spoke up as he himself rose too and started walking into the direction of the table on the side of the throne room. "Let us have tea, Gin, Kaname, will you join us?"

"Oh, but ofcours' Aizen-_sama_." Gin said, one could never really tell if the guy was mocking you or not. Aizen seemed to tolerate his 'antics' however.

When they reached the table Aizen motioned for Ichigo to sit opposite of Aizen, Kaname and Gin took place on Aizen's left and right respectively.

Tea was hurriedly brought over to them as they sat and silence reigned. Ichigo waiting for Aizen to start speaking, it was he who called him out here after all. His patience was rewarded quickly.

"I pressume you would like to know why I called you out here today, wouldn't you, Ichigo?" Aizen asked rhetorically.

_"Ah._ Aizen-sama." Ichigo calmly replied.

Aizen, face as calm as ever slowly started speaking again. "As the number one soldier in my forces I believe it would be...pertinent, for you to receive certain information."

Now this was interesting, Ichigo thought. Information was always welcome, Ichigo liked to be well informed about anything and everything. He wondered just what kind of information he would receive though.

Aizen, sensing the unasked question decided to answer it for him. "The information you will receive will differ greatly but one of the most important things I want to tell you about, is about Shinigami and everything pertaining them."

Ichigo smirked at this. Information about the enemy. It was the best kind of information. He had been curious about Shinigami for a while now. Ichigo realised perfectly well he hadn't been a Hollow for long, and so he had never even met one before.

Before Ichigo got around to replying however Aizen continued. "Other then that I do have another thing I believe I will teach you which might help you greatly."

This morning was just getting better and better for Ichigo. Aizen didn't actually _teach_ any of his underlings, despite the fact that Ichigo was an Espada and the _Primera_ at that Aizen was still his superior and as far as Ichigo was aware had never before taught anyone inside Las Noches. Aizen merely chuckled at Ichigo's interested and somewhat surprised expression.

"I will teach you, Kurosaki Ichigo, the art of Kidou." Aizen started, much to Ichigo's amazement. "Because even though your battle style doesn't suit it that well I can tell you have an underlying potential for it that would only be wasted by not making use of it. I assure you you will find it a highly useful skill to possess as well."

Ichigo was surprised at this and it clearly showed on his face. Kidou? Him? He'd never seen a lot of Kidou, Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen had occassionally used some to punish unruly or disrespectful subordinates and he had seen Aizen using it to destroy that Vasto Lorde. As soon as he remember that he couldn't help but get excited, if Kidou could be that powerful it would certainly be a useful skill to have. It was ironic, he thought. A former Hollow being taught a Shinigami art, by a Shinigami nonetheless. He was thankful though, it was obvious any new skill learned would improve ones powers.

"Very well, thank you, Aizen-sama." Ichigo said, bowing his head.

After that they switched the subject back to Shinigami in general. Aizen started explaining him a bit about their history at first he mentioned a couple of other races as well such as the Quincy and Bounto and Ichigo had to admit he found it highly interesting.

When Aizen reached the subject of the Gotei 13 however Ichigo started listening even more intently, making sure not to forget a single word on this subject. Aizen explained about the 13 Divisions in Soul Society. How each Division was led by a Captain with under him a Vice-Captain. He explained that each Division held twenty seated positions of power and attempted to compare them, power-wise.

Ichigo found it all highly interesting. He had actually been worried when he heard that there were twenty seated positions of power within each Division. Ichigo had assumed it meant that it meant each of these twenty people were atleast fairly powerful. Aizen however quickly dismissed this thought when he told him that an _average_ Vice-Captain was only slightly more powerful then the average Adjuchas. A Vice-Captain in turn was basically the 2nd seat and each of the twenty seats lead from weakest to strongest with the 20th seat being the weakest and the first seat or better known as the Captain the strongest. He did remind Ichigo however that this scenario assume the Vice-Captain was indeed, _average._

Aizen then concluded their conversation and told Ichigo he would tell him about Shinigami Zanpakutou the next time. He then motioned for Ichigo to follow him outside to one of the smaller training grounds.

As they made their way over to the training grounds Ichigo was truly interested in learning this whole Kidou thing. It was obvious he knew next to nothing about it, but he vowed he would be a fast learner.

_"Bakudou #1 - Sai." _Aizen's voice called out as he pointed his index and middle finger at Ichigo and made a slashing motion in the air, catching Ichigo by surprise as they'd reached the training ground.

To Ichigo's surprise his arms moved of his own accord and bound themselves behind his back, seemingly bound in place by invisible bonds. As Ichigo tried to break it however he noticed he could do so almost effortlessly.

"Kidou is divided in two branches of magic, as we call it. First we have Hadou which is the destructive branch of Kidou. Hadou magic is basically all about spells that possess a destructive nature." Aizen started explaining.

Ichigo meanwhile was getting interested. The Kidou Aizen just used on him was actually pretty useful. It seemed to be broken easily but Ichigo believed it had it's uses, even in a sword fight.

"The second branch of Kidou is the Bakudou branch. This branch covers a variety of possibilities really. One can use Kidou to bind someone, to form a shield or even to communicate. However the main subject the Bakudou branch covers is about immobilizing your opponent in one way or another." Aizen started again. "As you probably figured out by now. The Kidou I used on you just now was the first level Bakudou and so in theory the weakest of the Bakudou. Kidou spells from both branches are sorted a number according to the difficulty and power of the spell. The numbers in both branches range from one to ninety-nine." Aizen said. "Do not be mistaken however, as one progressess in the art of Kidou one can learn to make a level ten spell as deadly as for example as level thirty spell." Aizen warned.

Ichigo, meanwhile, was amazed. The spell Aizen used on him just now was by all means, weak. But it still had it's uses and if what Aizen told Ichigo was true then it was the weakest spell in the branch of Bakudou. Ichigo could only imagine what the most powerful spell in each branch would be like.

"As you can imagine it would be quite a stretch to teach you each and every spell in both branches." Aizen started again. "And so I won't."

Aizen chuckled as Ichigo raised his eyebrows. Obviously confused about the statement.

"It is not necessarily required to learn each and every Kidou spell. However to teach you a couple of the more powerful we will need to learn you some lower level spells as well." He said.

"I ask only one thing in return for me teaching you Kidou and that is to be honestly interested in learning it. If you do not want to learn it to begin with then it will be pointless starting. However keep in mind my end result is to teach you atleast a handful of the more powerful Kidou spells." He explained.

Ichigo meanwhile had already made up his mind. He knew he wanted to learn it. He was confident it could do a lot to improve his combat skills even further.

And so they practised for about an hour, starting out with the Hadou branch which apparently was a lot easier in the lower levels. Ichigo quickly got the hang of it. He realized that he had to figure out just how his reiatsu was supposed to flow to make the spell happen. The easiest way to do this was by saying the incantation which tried to guide your reiatsu into the proper directions. After Ichigo could easily make a spell work with the incantation Aizen told him to try it without next. This, Ichigo found was barely any harder, all he really had to do was remember the way his reiatsu flowed and mimic it.

After their hour of training Aizen called an end to it. Ichigo so far had completely mastered Hadou #1 - Shou and Hadou #4 - Byakurai. He could cast both spells with or without incantation effortlessly. He could cast Hadou #31 - Shakkaho without an incantation as well although not instantly just yet. Currently he was in the process of getting both Hadou #31 - Shakkaho and Hadou #33 - Soukatsui up to the same level of the level one and four Hadou spells he had mastered.

Aizen said he was impressed by Ichigo's progress and that as a Shinigami would say, he was likely a true prodigy in the art of Kidou. For an Academy Student it could often take months to cast a decent Hadou #31 - Shakkaho and that was still _with _the incantation.

When Aizen dismissed Ichigo after wishing him good luck on his mission Ichigo however, remained standing.

"What is it, Ichigo?" Aizen asked, clearly interested.

"I was wondering, why is it so important we go to the real world to find these three 'ryoka' as you called them? From what you've told me, you haven't fought them nor seen them fight. Do you not believe that if they were truly powerful opponents they would've fought with their friends, back in Soul Society?" Ichigo asked.

Aizen meanwhile, was quite pleased with the boy's perceptiveness and decided to reward it by giving him an honest answer.

"Indeed Ichigo. I do not believe they are potential threats." Aizen stated, which confused Ichigo. At Ichigo's confused expression Aizen decided to continue. "Out of the three of them, one of them is the last Quincy, he doesn't interest me too much but it would help to know what level he is at regardless. The other two however, are humans. They are not dead yet they clearly possess spiritual powers. I have my own ideas as to how they achieved their powers however what I want to know is what their powers are capable of rather then how they got them in the first place or finding out exactly what level of strength that they are at." Aizen finished.

Ichigo smiled at this. He'd gotten an honest answer and that's what he had wanted. He had to admit though, he too was interested. Three humans, one of which was a Quincy and two of which somehow possessed spiritual powers. He was looking forward to it very much, atleast he would if...

"Aizen-sama," Ichigo started. "If I may, I request permission to take Nelliel Tu Oderschvank, the_ Tercera _with me today instead of one of the lower five."

At this, Aizen's eyebrows raised. That was unexpected, did Ichigo believe he needed another senior Espada? Was he not confident of his own powers or was it the powers of the lower five that he did not trust? No that was not it. Aizen was sure it had something to do with the bond he shared with Nelliel, they were close indeed, especially so for Arrancar.

"Oh? Do you deem it necessary to take the _Tercera_ with you? With _you,_ the _Primera?_" Aizen calmly asked.

Ichigo seemed to have his answer ready as he instantly replied. "Perhaps not. But I work well together with her and I believe you are aware of the risk of Urahara Kisuke and Shihouin Yoruichi showing up, not to mention Tsukabishi Tessai."

Aizen smiled, Ichigo had done his research well it seemed. But he did have a point. He and Nel worked well together and with the chance of those three showing up it might just be the better option. He didn't want to lose a perfectly fine Espada, even if it was one of the lower five, in the very first skirmish of this war.

"Very well Ichigo, I wouldn't normally send two senior Espada members on such a mission but you make some valid arguments. I'll make an exception for you." Aizen concluded.

Nodding his thanks and making a bow Ichigo turned on his heel and walked out of the throne room.

=0=

_[1]Itadakimasu_ - Have a nice meal.

_[2]Primera Espada_ - First Espada.

_[3]Segunda Espada_ - Second Espada.

_[4]Cuatro Espada_ - Fourth Espada.

_[5]Octava Espada_ - Eight Espada.

_[6]Sextra Espada_ - Sixth Espada.

_[7]Décima Espada_ - Tenth Espada.

_[8]Quinto Espada_ - Fifth Espada.

_[9]Séptima Espada_ - Seventh Espada.

_[10]Noveno Espada_ - Ninth Espada.

_[11]Tercera Espada._ - Third Espada.

_That's it, another chapter done, I realise it's taken me a bit longer to write this one then any of the others so far but it can't be helped. I hope it is satisfactory nonetheless, at the very least it should be significantly bigger then my average chapter I believe._

_Now before people start to ask. This story will feature no Zero ranked Espada. I honestly thought it was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. Especially with the title belonging to some bruth who can barely comprehend the language he is speaking let alone be capable of fighting a battle with his brains._

_Second, yes I realise I have changed some of the rankings around quite drastically and they hardly resemble the rankings we see in Cannon. I am well aware of this fact and while I do intend to let the rankings continue to adjust slightly in the feature I have no intention of mimicking the Canon ranks as much as possible._

_Now I am curious to know, I am not promising I will do anything with it but I have to ask. Do any of you wish for Ichigo to have a Fracción and if so, why? What kind of Fracción would you like him to have? An existing one or one made up? Like I said, I'm currently not intending to give him one but I might in the future so your opinion will be much appreciated nonetheless._

_Now I decided to add a list of the Espada and their ranks at the end of this chapter. Whenever the rankings change in one way or another I'll add a new list at the end of that chapter. Just for the record I'll add the already existing canon Aspects next to their names as well for those of you who are unaware of them._

_Now I have one last question for all of you. Do any of you have any good ideas as to what Aspect Ichigo and Nel should possess? I do already have an Aspect for each of them which I believe is quite fitting however I am curious to see if there's someone who can come up with something better._

_1. Primera Espada - Kurosaki Ichigo_

_2. Segunda Espada - Starrk - Aspect of Loneliness_

_3. Tercera Espada - Nelliel Tu Oderschvank_

_4. Cuatro Espada - Barragan Luisenbarn - Aspect of Time_

_5. Quinto Espada - Ulquiorra Schiffer - Aspect of Nihilism_

_6. Sexta Espada - Nnoitra Jiruga - Aspect of Despair_

_7. Séptima Espada - Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez - Aspect of Destruction_

_8. Octava Espada - Szayel Aporro Granz - Aspect of Madness_

_9. Noveno Espada - Aaroniero Arruruerie - Aspect of Greed_

_10. Décima Espada - Yammy Rialgo - Aspect of Wrath_

_Thank you for reading yet another chapter! R&R!_


	6. Bittersweet Reunion

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach!

**Rin'negan Naruto:** No, that is one thing I can promise. Yammy will not be stronger then Ichigo and in this story there will be no such thing as a Zero Espada. I myself have found the entire concept ridiculous from the very beginning. In my story Yammy was just an above Adjuchas when he was turned into an Arrancar. He might rise or even fall in rank but he will never surpass those Espada that were previously Vasto Lordes.

Secondly yes, Ichigo will eventually get to learn a handful of the more powerful Kidou spells. That is the entire reason for his training in the Arts of Kidou to begin with.

**Shigur3':** I honestly appreciate the kind words. I try my hardest and it is very rewarding to read people actually enjoy that which I write.

Apart from that I don't mind adding once more that there will be no Zero Espada and thus Yammy will simply be the _Décima_ and nothing more.

**Kazekyuu:** Well as far as I can see my Sixth Espada is also called the _Sexta._ So perhaps you misread on that one, either that or I misunderstood your question. About the other one, are you absolutely positive it is meant to be _Quarta?_ I have to ask because the site I checked the rankings on actually did say _Cuatro _instead.

**RyumaOmega: **I have to admit and I am aware of his regenerative abilities however for reasons I don't even have I just haven't mentioned them ever since he was taken in by Aizen I believe. Thanks for the heads up. I will either edit it in into the last chapter or be sure to mention it in future chapters.

**Ligerheart:** Afraid I simply refuse to use Harribel for something as degrading as Fracción. Not that there's anything wrong with Fracción but considering the fact that I like the character of Harribel in canon a lot I won't use her for that. I do intend to use her later on in the story but for what I am still unsure.

I have to admit that I liked your suggestion for an Aspect for Ichigo. It is just that I already had that entire part written out when you reviewed that I didn't feel the need to weight them up against eachother anymore. In the end I am quite happy with the Aspect I've chosen as I do intend to turn Ichigo into a somewhat compasisonate person, even if he is an Arrancar and even if he will deny it for a long time to come.

As for Nel and the Aspect of Sacrifice. It could be a possibility indeed since Harribel is not even in the Espada currently and it might even be such a bad choice for her. I will certainly keep that in mind, thanks!

**DarkJason: **All very interesting questions but I am sorry to say I won't directly answer them. It might ruin some pleasant surprises. I will tell you however that atleast one of those scenarios will happen at one point or another.

**Yonda:** I'm glad you're enjoying it. As for Fracción, I am agreeing with you on that subject. As of now I have no intention to add any Fracción unless someone manages to convince me otherwise.

And yes I suppose I am writing at a fairly fast pace considering that I started this story like last Sunday or something. But I'm enjoying it and I always hated (and still hate) waiting for new chapters to come out! So I will do my best to keep them coming as fast as possible.

**Chapter 5: Bittersweet Reunion.**

It was minutes after his meeting and subsequent lesson with Aizen and Ichigo was sitting on the couch in the sitting room of Nel's living quarters. Upon entering, Pesche and Dondochakka had directed him to the couch while they went to get Nel. Surprisingly a mere twenty seconds later the both of them had come running out of the room they had entered in search of Nel wearing a frightened expression on their face. They were currently hiding behind the couch for reasons Ichigo did not know.

At the sound of the door Ichigo looked up to find Nel entering the room dressed in her Arrancar outfit, looking rather, sleepy? It was just past noon and Nel was just about coming out of bed. Yup, sounded just like her alright.

When Dondochakka and Pesche heard Nel enter the room they jumped out from behind the couch. During the next few seconds Ichigo probably saw the most bizarre thing he had ever seen during his short life as a Hollow and now Arrancar. Pesche and Dondochakka had both jumped out from behind the couch wearing makeshift bindfolds to cover their eyes. They crouched their way towards where Nel was located. How they knew she was there remained a mystery to Ichigo. As soon as they reached her they started muttering barely coherent words of apology to Nel, all the while kissing the top of her shoes.

Ichigo could only stare dumbfounded as he looked at Nel towering over her two _Fracción_ with a...blush, on her face. Nel. Was. Blushing. When Ichigo took notice of this he burst out laughing instantly silencing the two _Fracción_ who turned to look around. When they saw the normally collected _Primera_ Espada laughing out loud they couldn't help but stare dumbfounded at_ him_ in return.

Nel meanwhile, turned to look at Ichigo as if he was from another planet, the same sleepy expression still etched onto her features. Was this her friend? The normally collected and fairly serious _Primera_ Espada, Kurosaki Ichigo?

"Do I want to know what happened that caused you to _blush_ Nel?" Ichigo asked, still chuckling after his laughter had died down.

Nel, deciding to take advantage of the situation decided to tease him a bit. Despite her earlier embarrasment she really didn't care much about what happened. Remember the apologetic and embarrassing looks of Pesche and Dondochakka she couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

"Oh nothing much. Pesche and Dondochakka just thought they would come check me out in my underwear before I had to get dressed. It seems you missed out on the show, though if you ask me really nice I might repeat it just for you, Ichi." She told him with a wink and a seductive smile.

Pesche and Dondochakka in the meantime were horrified. Nel had just explained what had happened without doing so much as blinking even once. Even more so she had made it sound as if it were their intention. Both of them knew that the _Primera_ and Nel shared a very close relationship even though it may look only strictly professional in public and even seemed rather reserved in private. No, they truly didn't want to know what Ichigo might do to them would he not be convinced of the fact that they were as innocent as it got in all this!

Ichigo meanwhile wasn't even thinking about punishing the duo. If one thing was obvious to him it was that Nel was trying to tease him by exaggerating. Nonetheless he felt his face heat up at the thought of her earlier suggestion. Realising she wouldn't let him live it down, ever, if she caught him blushing as well he quickly turned his face to the side in an attempt to hide the blush.

Nel however, wasn't stupid and quickly caught on to what he was trying to achieve. Stepping closer to him she leant forward to grab his face and turn it around. Upon seeing the blush on his face she burst out laughing instantly. She would bet anyone would be willing to pay a fortune to get a picture of his face that very moment. The usually seemingly stoic _Primera_ Espada, Kurosaki Ichigo was blushing. The thought alone would make her chuckle and if it weren't for the fact that she was still just out of bed and rather sleepy she imagined she would be rolling on the floor laughing right now.

"Oh my god Ichi, you should see your face!" She exclaimed, laughing. "It looks so...so..." She paused unable to continue talking as her laughter increased by seeing the annoyed look on his face, all the while still blushing. The combination of annoyance and embarrasment looked so out of place on his face it was hilarious. "...so cute!" she cried out as she finally managed to get in a few words.

At this, the dam burst. "Cute?!" Ichigo cried out. "Let's get this straight, _Neliel_. I. Don't. Look. Cute." He shouted, an indignant expression etched onto his features which caused Nel to laugh even harder.

Pesche and Dondochakka in the meantime could only stare dumbfounded at the two Espada. Nel was all but rolling on the floor in laughter after having just accused the _Primera_ to look cute. The thought alone was so absurd that it was actually funny. Ichigo meanwhile looked much like a lost puppy, expressions on his face rapidly coming and going and changing from one expression to another.

As Nel's laughter slowly died down she sat down on the couch and leaned into Ichigo causing him to blush again, the same sleepy expression somehow crept right back onto her face again. She turned to look at Ichigo only to notice him looking right back at her. After a couple of seconds of intense staring the corners of his mouth quirked up into a smirk. Nel instantly smirked right back at him. Seconds later however, her features returned back to their sleepy form.

"Tch. What were you doing sleeping so late anyway? I've been up for hours." Ichigo told her.

"Hmpf, I'm tired Ichi! And I'm cold!" Nel complained.

Ichigo was stunned. He realised Nel could be a bit childish at times and to be honest he did kind of like that about her. But right now she was taking the term childish to a completely different level. He chuckled softly which caused Nel to turn her face to his with hopeful eyes. That didn't bode well, Ichigo reasoned.

As soon as Ichigo finished that thought, Nel turned to lie down on the couch. She stretched her legs and unceremoniously dropped her head in Ichigo's lap almost causing him to jump up.

"N-Nel! What the-" Ichigo started but he stopped when Nel's arms slid around his waiste and she buried her face into his stomach.

"Jus' wanna sleep," she mumbled, rather incoherrently.

Pesche and Dondochakka at the time thought it best to retreat to their own quarters. Looking at Nel they were pretty sure she wasn't going to get up for a while. They knew all too well what she was like when she wanted something.

Ichigo in the meantime figured there was no peaceful way he was going to get out of her death grip. So he settled for just letting her lie down for a while. It wasn't as if Aizen had given them a time frame, he merely told them it should be done today. And the day was long way from ending.

=0=

Three hours later Ichigo and Nel could be seen exiting a _Garganta_ in the middle of the park in Karakura Town.

Thinking back on the afternoon happenings Ichigo strangely, couldn't help but smile. Even he had to admit that it had been strangely comforting having Nel's head rest in his lap while she slept. It had been awkward for the first few minutes but he gradually got used to it and had been dissapointed when she woke up and removed her head from his lap.

Currently he was thinking about just how much he had started to enjoy being around Nel. He had tried to deny it at first ofcourse but he'd gotten over that a long time ago. It was undeniable that he enjoyed her company. He didn't feel completely at ease with the thought though, being a relatively new Arrancar he still had to get used to the wide array of emotions running through his head at times and he had to admit he got a whole new perspective on humans who had to deal with these things since birth.

Now however was not the time to start thinking about these things. They had a mission to accomplish and the sooner they were done the sooner they could return to Las Noches.

They talked over their plan briefly before leaving to the real world. Karakura Town was a pretty huge town and chances that the three of their targets were not all in one spot were pretty high. Therefor they'd decided to have Nel raise her reiatsu just a little bit to fool them into thinking she was merely a strong Hollow while Ichigo hid his. It would alarm them of a Hollow in the vicinity and Nel had hoped they head towards all at once.

It was an easy plan and it didn't take a genius to figure it out either. If it worked it would make things significantly easier for the two of them.

Deciding they'd stalled enough Ichigo nodded to Nel, allowing her to go on with their plan. Despite the fact that they were very close to one another Ichigo was still the _Primera_ and so Nel's superior. Nel could be very childish at times but she certainly wasn't one to forget about her duty.

A few minutes after Nel slightly raised her reiatsu Ichigo could feel three reiatsu signatures making their way towards them.

"Hey, Ichi," Nel's high pitched voice called out softly. Turning his head around he raised his eyebrows, signifying for her to continue.

"I was just wondering. Aizen asked us all to choose an Aspect of Death to our liking, one which represented our situation, skills or personality. If I may ask, have you found yours yet?" She carefully asked, as if afraid he wouldn't want to tell her.

"_Ah._ I have." Ichigo answered with a smile as he looked around the park. At the squirrels climbing and jumping through trees. At the children playing and swimming in the pond under their parents watchful eye. And finally at the clear blue sky that was devoid of any hopelessness and despair. He remembered once upon a time when he had first arrived into Hueco Mundo, he'd felt at home. He thought that if there was any place he would ever truly consider home it would be there. Now, thinking back, he thought he was a fool for thinking such a thing. Hueco Mundo, devoid of life and happiness. A place of eternal war, conflict, hopelessness and despair. A place where one had to fight for their survival all the time. Ichigo had vowed then and there that he would never become as Hueco Mundo was. No, Ichigo would respect life, he would value it and treasure it. He vowed not to kill needlessly.

"It was the Aspect of Life." He added, smiling.

Nel's eyes widened at this revelation, she knew Ichigo was compassionate deep down. He just didn't show it often, or never at all to those who weren't personally involved with him. She smiled at him softly.

"Why?" Was the single soft-spoken question she asked. It was a logical question, life was the opposite of death. They were asked to think of an Aspect of Death after all. She was confident Ichigo would back it up with good reasoning though.

"Life, Nelliel," Ichigo started slowly. "is many things. Life is birth, life is growing up, life is hardships and maybe above all life means bonds.

Life sounds ideal to those who are dead. But people do not kill themselves for nothing. The living do not wage war for no reason. And a friends betrayal might hurt you more then any weapon ever could.

Without life there can be no death as without dying one cannot truly live. The Aspect of Life represents both the living and the dead. The Aspect of Life is the one and only true Aspect of Death. That is what I believe." Ichigo explained.

At his explanation Nelliel's eyes widened to an impossible degree. He thought of all that just to justify his aspect? She knew Ichigo had become intelligent since becoming a Vasto Lorde and after that an Arrancar but this she had not expected. There were things contained in his reasoning that should only be known by the living yet he must have figured them out by evaluating the actions of living humans or even Shinigami who are a lot like them in many aspects. The Las Noches library must hold more information then she believed.

Her thoughts however were quickly interupted when three figures ran into the park. Sensing their reiatsu signatures she knew they were their targets.

As she looked into Ichigo's direction she saw him already looking at her. They locked eyes and nodded. From here on out it should be a walk in the park, which was ironic considering their location, nonetheless they would exercise caution.

Ichigo stood tall, his hands in his pocket and his collar still hiding his mouth from view as usual. Nel stood next to him her arms by her side and her Zanpakutou bound horizontally on her lower back.

When the three humans came closer their eyes widened when they came upon Ichigo.

"I-Ichigo?!"

"Kurosaki?"

"K-Kurosaki-kun?

Ichigo frowned at this and Nel turned to look at him curiously. That was...odd. She could swear they were looking at his eyes as if they knew him.

=0=

Ishida meanwhile was looking at the figure with the orange hair with a sense of dread. Looking into those eyes and considering the orange hair he was certain this was Kurosaki Ichigo, his old rival.

Thinking back however, he realised it was entirely possible. They knew now, that Aizen was out to create an army of Hollow/Shinigami hybrids. They knew Ichigo had turned into a Hollow, but not once in their wildest fantasies had they considered they would come up against him like...this. What was he though? Was this the hybrid Urahara had spoken of. They looked truly human, Ishida couldn't find any sign of a mask left on Ichigo at all. However both he and the other Arrancar seemed to be wielding Zanpakutou which Ishida found extremely disconcerting.

The green-haired woman also seemed to have a cartoonish skull adorned on the top of her head. If one were to ignore that though she could certainly pass for a human.

Looking at his friends he could see the hopelessness in their eyes. They too had realised the just who was standing in front of him. Although, admittedly they couldn't be certain just yet. Said person had not even reacted to his name, on the other hand that could very well be cleverly hidden behind a mask of emotionlessness.

"Ishida Uryuu, Yasutora Sado, Inoue Orihime. Aizen-sama has ordered us to bring about your death. Prepare yourselves!" The voice of the imposter Ichigo rang out.

=0=

Ishida Uryuu, Yasutora Sado, Inoue Orihime. Aizen-sama has ordered us to bring about your death. Prepare yourselves!" Ichigo's voice rang out.

Nel looked at him, keeping her emotionless mask in place but wondering just what he intended to achieve by lying to them. She knew they were only ordered to find out what these humans were capable off. Ichigo knew this as well, she figured she would play along though. Keep up the pretence.

She could see the eyes of the three humans widen after Ichigo had made his statement. The Quincy managed to bring out his bow and jump back in time to avoid Ichigo's strike. The other human boy however wasn't so lucky as his stomach was pierced by Ichigo's bare hand.

The human girl quickly made to make her way over to her friend.

"I-Ichigo.." Yasutora Sado's weak voice called out as Ichigo's hand pierced him.

Ichigo's eyes widened at this. Who were these people that claimed to know him? Or atleast know of him? Were his thoughts as he reappeared back next to Nel.

As he turned to look at her he could see a worried expression etched onto her face. Standing with his back to the humans he gave her a pleading look. She smiled softly in return.

Ichigo stepped back next to her. "Don't worry Ichi, I'll take care of it for you." She exclaimed perhaps a little too loud as the Quincy's eyes widened at this revelation.

"Wait!" He called out. Causing Nelliel to delay her charge. She rose her eyebrows at him indicating for him to go on.

"What is your name?" Ishida asked the orange haired hybrid.

Ichigo considered his question for a moment before deciding that in the end it really wouldn't change a thing.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." He answered, calmly.

The Quincy's shoulders sagged at this. So it was him after all, how could one expect him to fight his rival in a battle to the death? If he were a Shinigami perhaps he would so he could send his friend on to Soul Society by purifying him. But as a Quincy he would destroy him, he would forever erase his existence in this world. It was not something Ishida could do to him.

"But enough talk. Nel," Ichigo nodded towards her, letting him know she could go ahead. "show us the extent of your powers, humans."

=0=

"-show us the extend of your powers, humans."

Were the words that caused Ishida to jump back again to bring out his bow, before he got the chance however he heard a buzzing sound behind him and felt something hard impact with his head. Looking at the silent figure of Kurosaki Ichigo was the last thing Ishida did before his eyes closed and he lost consciousness.

=0=

"-show us the extend of your powers, humans."

Those were the words that caused Sado to motion for Inoue to release her Souten Kisshun allowing Sado to rise and move again. Standing up the first thing he heard was a buzzing sound and looking towards Ishida he saw the green haired woman appear behind him and deliver a vicious kick towards his temple.

Quickly transforming his arm Sado charged reiatsu into it as the woman stepped over Ishida's body and calmly began walking towards them.

Realising he had stored sufficient reiatsu in his arm he slammed it out towards her and opened his fist. The resulting blast of spiritual energy was huge and both Chad and Inoue would've closed their eyes had the bright light of Chad's attack not started diminishing right then and there.

Taking a closer look Sado realised the spiritual energy was being sucked into the woman as if she was swallowing it. Now that he thought of it, if he wasn't mistaken he could actually see her swallowing up his energy blast.

He could feel himself start to tremble as his entire energy blast dissapeared into the woman's mouth. Just how tough were these Arrancar? It was like she was toying with them, first knocking Ishida out cold in one hit and then swallowing the strongest attack he had ever fired as if it were water. Shocked, Sado realised he was frightened.

When he returned his uncertain eyes to fall upon the seemingly young woman she once again opened her mouth for Sado to see his own energy blast coming back at him, only pink in color this time, rather then blue. Realising Inoue was still within the blast radius he panicked, for him to die by his own mistake was his own fault but he would not drag her down with him. Quickly moving further into the blast radius to stand in front of her he planted his feet firmly into the ground and closed his eyes before the blast of pink consumed him and he knew no more.

=0=

Meanwhile Inoue could only stare in horror at the spot she had projected her Santen Kesshun onto mere seconds ago in a last ditch effort to protect Sado. The shield had held for not even a second before it broke and the blast consumed Sado, who kept standing in front of her firmly, protecting her from it.

Turning her head around she looked at Sado. And what she saw made her want to puke. Tears started leaking from her eyes. How could Kurosaki-kun order that woman to do something so vile? Surely he didn't like it, surely he didn't mean to hurt Ishida and Sado?

Sado's body was covered entirely in angry red burn marks. Several small portions of his skin were blackened and charred. The majority of his hair had been burned off entirely except for a small portion at the back of his head. The remains of his clothes hung of his body in rags, ripped and burned to pieces on every part of his body.

As she turned to look back at Kurosaki-kun with tears still fresh in her eyes, she was surprised. The woman who had just, without visible effort knocked Ishida out cold and heavily injured or even killed Sado stood next to him, her eyes closed in what looked like regret. However it was gone again as soon as the woman opened her eyes and they were full of fierce determination, Inoue knew her last seconds on this world had arrived.

=0=

As Nel closed her eyes to press back the regret of hurting and even injuring those who stood no chance to protect themselves she thought of Ichigo. These people recognized him and so they must be from his past in the real world.

She would not want him to carry the burden of hurting and possibly killing his friends even if he didn't remember them. She however would gladly bear that burden for him.

It was sad though, she didn't want to kill this woman. But they were ordered to find out what their powers were capable of. If they weren't forced to protect their lives they would and could never bring out the full potential of their powers. The downside was that if they failed to bring them out, or if they simply weren't strong enough they would die.

So far she had figured out a little bit. She noticed that the big man's arm could be transformed, seemingly at will. It could then be used to fire huge blasts of spiritual energy in a straight line at their opponents. Nel thought it much resembled a _Cero _and so she decided she would attempt to absorb it by using _Cero Doble_. Even if it would fail against this particular attack, it's not like it would kill her, her worries however were unfounded as she absorbed and returned the attack without a problem.

Returning the attack brought her to her second point. The point where she noticed a small triangular shaped shield appear in front of her _Cero Doble _and attempted to block it. It held only for a mere second before breaking but still considerably weakening the attack. Nel was glad the girl had done that though, it likely saved the other human's life in the end.

The third out of the three humans had been dissapointing. The Quincy, Ishida Uryuu. Nel had _Sonido_'d at a deliberate slow speed to allow him to see her move about and he had failed. She had knocked him out after, Aizen had told them the Quincy wasn't what he was interested in anyway. It were the two humans powers that he wished to evaluate.

As she opened her eyes again fierce determination was coarsing through her veins. She would attack the final of the three humans so that if the girl was unlucky Nel would bear the guild of killing an innocent woman and not Ichigo.

Looking at Inoue, as she believed she was called. She saw her encasing her human friend in a big yellow barrier, just like earlier when his stomach had been pierced by Ichigo. She noticed how the human's wounds started healing at a considerable pace and believed that at this rate he would be healed up in no time and they'd be force to have to fight him, again. However before she attacked she noticed something out of the ordinary. The human's clothing were returning to their former state, pieces of cloth that had been burned to nothing returned out of thin air. Nel's eyes widened at this before she sighed. When Aizen found out about that particular ability he would likely have her killed at one point or another, she would be of far too much use to the enemy.

Pointing her hand at the girl she started charging reiatsu into her palm. That is, untill a hand grabbed her shoulder, causing her to look around only to meet the face of Ichigo. His face remained impassive, but his eyes were tender as he shook his head, signifying her to stop.

Smiling, she did just that. She was glad he had decided to spare her the burden. Just as she was about to thank Ichigo however a red light started to emit from the other side of her head, the side opposite of where Ichigo had grabbed her shoulder. Turning to look around she saw his other arm was snaked around her head, already charging a _Cero_ pointed right at the girl. Turning to look at Ichigo in horror she saw determination etched into his features. Just as she was about to slap his hand away the _Cero_ fired and the girl eye's widened in horror as she continued healing her friend before she was obstructed from view by an explosion of debris and dirt.

Focussing a burst of reiatsu into his fingers, Ichigo slammed them into the air and threw Nel into the _Garganta_ to Hueco Mundo before quickly stepping in himself and closing it behind him.

=0=

As soon as Ichigo stepped out on the other side of the _Garganta_ he came face to face with a sad looking Nel.

He had to admit he hadn't seen Nel get genuinely angry before but he had certainly expected her to be angry now. He knew she knew he had seen through her act of taking the blame for any possible deaths of three humans who seemed to recognize him from a possible previous life.

He had thought it incredibly stupid and yet admirable of Nel to make such a sacrifice. He knew Nel valued life very highly, as did he and so taking the lives of people who could hardly defend themselves let alone deserved to die was a very hard thing to do.

Which is why he stopped her at the very last second. He realised they had seen enough of their abilities. They might've been able to see more if they had gone on but he chose not to for two reasons. The first and most important one being that he didn't want to burden his friend, Nel. And the second one was one he was sure Nel hadn't even noticed in her state of emotional turmoil that several additional reiatsu signatures were quickly approaching their position and would've arrived in mere seconds. So Ichigo finished his mission in the easiest way possible. Distract the enemy by attacking their helpless friends while you make your escape. And it worked brilliantly, as the other incoming reiatsu signatures instantly changed directions to save their comrades rather then engage their target.

And so he looked at Nel and smiled at her. Upon seeing her confused expression he chuckled slightly before explaining himself.

"They're alive. They were saved by four other incoming reiatsu signatures. Likely the four Shinigami Aizen defeated back in Soul Society." He explained.

Her expression of confusion turned to one of relief and then of happiness. It was clear to him that she had been worrying about it.

As Ichigo turned on his heel to make his way to Aizen's throne room however Nel stopped him.

"Ichi..." She began slowly. "You saw that girl's powers?" She asked tentatively.

_"Ah, _Nel, I have seen her powers." He stated. Sensing the question she was going to ask he answered her before she got a chance to.

"I am inclined to believe she is somehow able to turn certain thing back in time, likely that which is contained within the shield, however hard that is to believe. My other explanation sounds even more impossible." He told her.

She looked at him with raised eyebrows, silently letting him know he should go on.

"The other explanation would be that she is somehow able to repel or reject certain events from ever having happened. However I do not exaggerate when I say that a technique such as this scares me. It would allow her to 'heal' lost limbs even when say, the limb itself was destroyed. It might even allow her to resurrect the dead." Ichigo finished with his eyes closed.

Nel let out a sigh as she heard his explanation. She had expected something along those lines. While previously when Ichigo had still been her 'little Adjuchas' she was by far more intelligent then he was. He had since increased in more then one area however. She had guessed something along the same lines Ichigo had mentioned, however she wouldn't have gone as far as to be able to resurrect the dead. Still she supposed it was entirely possible, she just hadn't wanted to think of anyone possessing such a power.

As she opened her eyes she looked at Ichigo and gave him a quick nod. It was time they reported their succes to Aizen.

=0=

As the smoke cleared, Inoue Orihime wondered why she hadn't felt any pain? Was there no pain in death? Or had she just been too afraid to take notice of it. Or perhaps she died before she realised she'd felt any pain.

Those were the things she thought about silently...untill she opened her eyes. And found Urahara Kisuke standing in front of her with a goofy look on his face.

"My my, Orihime-san how nice of you to join us!" He exclaimed brightly.

At the mention of us she looked around herself and found the figures of Shihouin Yoruichi, Tsukabishi Tessai and Kurosaki Isshin standing behind her. When Isshin locked eyes with her she instantly looked away, refusing to meet his gaze.

Seeing the older Kurosaki caused her to realise just what would have happened had the four of them not appeared. She would have been killed by her former crush who was now dead. Killed by Kurosaki Ichigo.

Forcing any thoughts of Kurosaki Ichigo from her mind for the time being she turned to look at Sado who was slowly but certainly healing. She focused all her renewed attention on willing the wounds to dissapear and for him to become his old and normal self again.

Isshin meanwhile was looking at Inoue with an expression akin to pity. He didn't know what the girl had witnessed these past minutes. But one thing was certain whatever it was that attacked Yasutora Sado must have been powerful, for him to literally have parts of his body charred like that. It was inhuman. Then again, Isshin didn't think it was humans that attacked them.

It was weird though, for the briefest of seconds Isshin had thought he felt a reiatsu signature which was slightly similar to the one his son used to have. It was rare for a reiatsu signature to be familiar in any way. It would occassionally happen among family members and on very rare occassions a stranger's signature could be slightly familiar to someone else's.

"Isshin," Urahara's voice shook him from his thoughts, locking eyes with Urahara he looked at him questioningly. "Take Orihime to the shop please, get her some tea to calm down a bit. We'll be along with Sado and Uryuu soon enough."

Nodding, he picked Inoue up bridal style and _shunpo_'d away.

=0=

As Kurosaki Ichigo and Nelliel Tu Oderschvank entered the Espada's meeting room Aizen's voice instantly silenced the already present Espada's useless blabbering.

When Ichigo and Nel reached Aizen they both kneeled down and bowed their heads in a manner of greeting and as a sign of respect.

Aizen, after a moment, motioned for them to get up. "Ichigo, Nelliel," He spoke up calmly. "What have you to report?"

Ichigo looked at Nel and nodded. Allowing her to start explaining. "The Quincy, Ishida Uryuu, should not be considered very powerful. I intended to test his strength and moved at him with a deliberately slow burst of _sonido_. He never even caught a glimpse of me moving or standing behind him before I knocked him out. We believed he was not worth our time.

The second human, Yasutora Sado had an...interesting, power. He was able to transform his right arm into something very Hollow-like. After which he was able to gather reiatsu into it and when enough had been gathered he would fire a beam much resembling a _Cero_. I decided to tempt fate and was able to absorb it using _Cero Doble_ incapacitating the man as his attack was returned returned in kind.

Up untill this point not much was seen about the woman except for a strange healing shield which healed the pierced stomach of Yasutora Sado after Ichigo had attacked him right upon confronting the trio. When my _Cero Doble_ was fired upon her friend however a triangular shaped shield appeared in front of him for a mere moment before it broke and he succumbed to my attack. Naturally, we weren't too impressed with her up untill this point either." Nel explained.

After she finished explaining up untill the point she was now she locked eyes with Ichigo and looked at him questioningly, as if unsure if she should continue. Ichigo merely smiled at her and answered the question by starting to speak himself.

"After Yasutora Sado was hit by Nel's _Cero Doble_ his skin was charred in many places and he was even missing some chunks of flesh on his body. Other then that his clothes were entirely burned and ripped to shreds leaving no doubt about the fact that had the girl not brought up her shield in time he would have undoubtedly died from Nel's attack.

As the girl proceeded to use the same healing powers again Nel and I proceeded to watch the events that unfolded with interest. We were...shocked to find out what happened." Ichigo told them, leaving the tension hanging in the air for a few seconds before continuing.

"The 'healing shield', Inoue Orihime used twice in our encounter today, it does not actually heal. When she used it for the second time pieces of skin that were charred beyond salvation were returned to their unharmed state. Pieces of cloth that had literally burned to nothing returned and his entire outfit mended itself. Pieces of missing skin returned out of seemingly nowhere. Nel and I have discussed this and we believe the girl is either able to somehow revert back time on the objects contained within her shield or seemingly even more impossible...reject events from ever having happened. Meaning she would able to restore for example lost limbs, even limbs that have been flat out destroyed. And above that, assuming she can reject events, theory states she should be able to resurrect the dead." Ichigo finished.

Silence hung thick in the air for a while before some of the Espada started whispering among eachother. Aizen's face had turned into a thoughtful expression and even the more loud members among the Espada were silent, if only for a moment.

"So why didn't you kill them?" Grimmjow's voice rang out from among the gathered Espada.

"Yea, I would've slaughtered them all. That's what happens if you send a woman on a combat mission!" Nnoitra shouted.

"Because Aizen-sama hadn't asked us to. We were sent to evaluate their abilities and we did. Not everything is about killing for senseless self-satisfaction _Séptima, Sexta._" Ichigo said with emphasis on the last two words, causing Grimmjow to growl in anger and Nnoitra to send him a murderous glare.

"Nnoitra, Grimmjow." Aizen's voice called out. "I would appreciate it if you would not insult our _Primera _and _Tercera._ I ask you to supress that urge, should it come up again and if you can't... realise this, they have more worth to me then you do." Aizen stated flatly causing some people to raise their eyebrows. Aizen had never shown any form of blatant favoritism before.

"Ichigo, Nelliel." Aizen started again, not allowing people's thoughts to wander on his last words any longer. "You have done well. We may take action towards this Inoue Orihime in the future. But for now, rest." Aizen concluded, signifying the end of their meeting.

=0=

As Kurosaki Isshin lay in bed that night he was having a tremendous amount of trouble catching sleep. The information that had been shared with them that evening, first by Inoue and later confirmed by both Ishida and Sado had been...troubling. Truth be told troubling wouldn't begin to describe it, his only son had turned into a Hollow, that was old news and he had been starting to get used to that fact, despite how hard it was on him especially with two younger sisters remaining. But no, fate didn't spare him even a little bit this time, it appeared as if his son had sided with Aizen and was now part of his Arrancar army.

Isshin was wondering if Ichigo had retained his memories. It was rare but it happened to Hollow, occassionally. He guessed it was a fool's hope and in Ichigo's case it was probably better to hope he didn't have any memories of his previous life left. Considering how he merely watched Ishida and Sado being taken out and was on the point of killing Inoue when the four of them intervened.

On the other hand, Isshin could also see the advantage of this situation. The chance Isshin would've come across his son as normal Hollow was close to none during his lifetime. Now that Ichigo had joined with Aizen however there was a good chance they would eventually come up against one another meaning that if Isshin could beat his son he would be purified and sent to Soul Society.

Another thing that had piqued Isshin's interest was Inoue's explanation of the woman that was with Ichigo. She had been rather ruthless apparently but after she had all but decimated Sado her face had looked regretful for but a moment after which it hardened again. As she prepared to launch a _Cero_ at Inoue, Ichigo had stopped her simply by laying a hand on her shoulder. She had smiled and he had sneakily fired a _Cero _of his own as if not wanting the woman to see what he was doing. Her eyes had visibly widened according to Inoue when the woman saw what he was doing but was too late to react.

Isshin decided his son had become a true enigma along with the woman he almost seemed to care for. But his son was a Hollow no, an Arrancar but even so Hollow and so in that case Arrancar too didn't or barely felt any emotion at all Isshin reasoned. There was no reason for Ichigo to care for anyone but himself. Despite this, Isshin vowed to find out more about his son and this mysterious woman.

=0=

_Congratulations to those of you who asked me to reconsider the original plans for the romantic pairing of Nel and Ichigo. I have decided to continue with that idea after all although it will probably start out very slowly and continue to develop at a slow pace as well._

_I decided to try my best at a small part of humor at the start of this chapter. I have no idea if it is any good myself so any comments and opinions on that subject are much appreciated._

_Next I would very much like to ask you what you thought Ichigo's aspect. I gave it a lot of thought and finally decided on what we have now. Mainly because I want Ichigo to turn out as a compassionate person. The truth he already is now, he just doesn't realise it yet. As an Arrancar he is now being exposed to a huge array of completely foreign emotions and he has yet to sort them all out._

_Thanks for reading yet another chapter! R&R!_


	7. Secrets of the Past

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach!

**Yonda:** I'm glad you liked it. About the aspect, I am still unsure about what I will pick but regardless it won't matter for a while anyway as I do not intend to reveal it just yet. It never hurts to keep some things a surprise.

**Ligerheart:** Yea well I just wanted to make sure Orihime's powers were revealed properly for both Ichigo and Nel to see. Injuring Sado in such a way seemed to be the easiest way to achieve that goal! =p

**RyumaOmega:** That is what I intend to mold Ichigo into eventually. A compassionate person who will kill only if necessary. However he will be able to 'turn off' his emotions in battle so to speak, obviously not to the point where he'd instead be a mindless killing machine but I believe that'd be obvious!  
As for the Bounts, no they will likely not be introduced in the story. I merely mentioned them because they are another race, like the Quincy that was recorded in Soul Society's history.  
About a possible harem. As I have stated at the very bottom of this new chapter, no. Simply no, I'm sorry but I have no intention of adding more then one woman into the pairing. As for Rukia though, you'll read more about her in this chapter. She is still in Las Noches and she might never get out, who knows, I certainly don't, yet. But one thing I do promise is that she will eventually play an important role in the story.

**vanhelsing425:** If I had to change his aspect I don't believe I personally would change it to fear. It's not because I don't believe it's a potentially good aspect but more so because I often go for something with a deeper meaning. Much like I've done with choosing the Aspect of Life as Ichigo's Aspect of Death.  
I'm glad you liked the way I've been trying to portray Ichigo. Ironically the way you described it is pretty much exactly or at the very least scaringly similar to how I've been hoping to project him. So I'm incredibly glad that's how you perceived him as as well.  
As for the Aspects of Death, I didn't exactly 'bring it up' though, atleast not myself. I merely took it from Canon as each Espada in the manga and obiously the anime too eventually holds an Aspect of Death as well.  
For now I am still not intending to give Ichigo a Fracción, **yet**. I have  
however started to think about it. I believe it could still add to the story and so I have started to seriously consider it. One thing I can tell you however is that in no possible way would I ever consider Tesla as a Fracción. I'm sorry! But I just don't like him! :P Perhaps you'd be interested to note that Ggio Vega and even Wonderweiss are both a bit higher on the list of 'Fracción to be considered'.  
Lastly, Kidou. You would be right, had you said, Hollow cannot use Kidou. Arrancar's aren't hybrids for nothing. They do not gain Shinigami powers for no reason. Ofcourse it is not in any way officially stated that Arrancar could use Kidou. However considering the fact that Shinigami with Hollow powers, meaning Vaizards, can use techniques such as _Cero_, I believe it would be safe to assume that Arrancar can learn Kidou. The one condition being that they have someone who can properly teach it in the first place.

**drKannibal: **I'm glad you liked the way I've been trying to portray Ichigo. Ironically the way you described it is pretty much exactly or at the very least scaringly similar to how I've been hoping to project him. So I'm incredibly glad that's how you perceived him as as well.

As for the Aspects of Death, I didn't exactly 'bring it up' though, atleast not myself. I merely took it from Canon as each Espada in the manga and obiously the anime too eventually holds an Aspect of Death as well.

For now I am still not intending to give Ichigo a Fracción, yet. I have  
however started to think about it. I believe it could still add to the story and so I have started to seriously consider it. One thing I can tell you however is that in no possible way would I ever consider Tesla as a Fracción. I'm sorry! But I just don't like him! :P Perhaps you'd be interested to note that Ggio Vega and even Wonderweiss are both a bit higher on the list of 'Fracción to be considered'.

Lastly, Kidou. You would be right, had you said, Hollow cannot use Kidou. Arrancar's aren't hybrids for nothing. They do not gain Shinigami powers for no reason. Ofcourse it is not in any way officially stated that Arrancar could use Kidou. However considering the fact that Shinigami with Hollow powers, meaning Vaizards, can use techniques such as Cero, I believe it would be safe to assume that Arrancar can learn Kidou. The one condition being that they have someone who can properly teach it in the first place.

**Gagboy:** Firstly, about the Espada's numbers. The [3] for example is merely referring to the same [3] at the bottom of the page which translates said word for you. A [2] standing behind the word _Primera_ does not in any way mean I believe _Primera_ means second Espada.  
Next, yes Ichigo does have a vest slightly resembling Harribel's. His collar however is just a little bit lower and obviously he has no sleeves so I can assure you the end result would look quite different still.  
Then, considering the fact that Aizen called off his entire original plan concerning his betrayal of Soul Society and changed it all so he could reach Ichigo in Hueco Mundo as fast as possible to 'raise' him up as his most powerful Arrancar. Yes, Aizen gives Ichigo preferential treatment, albeit usually he would do this subtly.  
Next, it's not that Ishida can't identify Ichigo's mask fragments as in he wouldn't recognize them. But more as in they are hidden. Since you mentioned Harribel's vest earlier you should realise that it covers her ears as well. Ichigo's being only slightly looser in turn covers his ears too, atleast partially. Since his mask fragment are a pair of earrings it isn't all that odd Ishida failed to identify his mask fragment.  
Lastly, Ichigo was never 'lying' to his old friends. He has lost his memory regarding everything happened before he awoke in the cave Nelliel had taken him to in Hueco Mundo. All he could remember was a blue flash but other then that he doesn't remember dying or turning into a Hollow and nor does he remember anything from his life among the living. Wether this will remain throughout the story, well I'm afraid you'll have to read to find out. =)

**Minato Uzumaki:** I am still considering my options in regards to Inoue's powers. I am currently unsure what to do with them right now but I am definitely keep all options open for the time being.

**Chapter 6: Secrets of the Past.**

It was a week after their mission to the real world and Ichigo was walking through the halls of Las Noches on his way to his quarters to lie down for a rest. He had just returned from his almost daily meeting with Aizen. Over the last weeks they had covered various subjects concerning Shinigami. Aizen had talked about Zanpakutou and their spirits. He had talked about Shikai and even Bankai and had Tousen introduce his own. Ichigo had to admit he was impressed, it were formidable weapons. Another subject they had covered was an in detail explanation about every current Captain and Vice-Captain in Soul Society.

After their talk they would move outside for roughly an hour or two of Kidou practise. Over the last week Ichigo had improved tremendously in that field. After having mastered both _Hadou #31 - Shakkaho _and _Hadou #33 - Soukatsui_ without the incantation they had moved on to the Bakudou.

Starting out with the lower level ones like with the Hadou he had again quickly risen up into the higher levels of Kidou. Ichimaru had come to check up on his progress once or twice as well and commented that he must be a true prodigy in the Art of Kidou to rise up into the levels at such an astonishing rate.

Currently he had mastered _Bakudou #1 - Sai, Bakudou #9 Geki _as well as _Bakudou #30 - Shitotsu Sansen_ and could cast all three of them effortlessly without using the incantation.

Then there were the current Hadou and Bakudou spells he was working on but had not yet mastered. He did however master each of these spells _with _the use of incantation but he still had a way to go before he'd be able to use them as well the other spells he had mastered. They were _Bakudou #37 - Tsuriboshi, Bakudou #61 - Rikujyoukourou _and _Hadou #63 - Raikouhou._

His current thoughts however had strayed elsewhere. Earlier that week he'd had a rather peculiar conversation with Nel.

_[Flashback:]_

_Ichigo was sitting in his couch with Nel's head resting in his lap as she snored softly. Ever since she'd slept in said position once she'd taken an instant liking to it. Unfortunately, or fortunately, Ichigo wasn't sure about that, that meant that she ended up on his couch an awful lot of times daily. Because when there was something Nel wants no force in this world or the next would deny her the pleasure of that._

_He was shaken from his thoughts however as a soft and sleepy voice came from his lap. "Ne, Ichi?" Nel mumbled, seeing as she took the effort of talking to him when she was obviously very tired he figured it must be important so he proceeded to pay close attention to what she was going to say next. "Is there anything important you would want, like really badly I mean. Something you'd do anything for?" The question surprised Ichigo so much his jaw dropped._

_The truth be told he had been thinking about something for a while now. And he thought that if there was one thing he wanted really badly this would indeed be one of the few. It was something that had been on his mind ever since their mission the last week. Those three humans seemed to recognize him, no not seemed, they recognized him and that was a fact. Even more so Ichigo had an inkling he was supposed to know them as well but couldn't recall anything about them other then their last meeting and that which Aizen had told him._

_Yes if the truth were told. Ichigo wanted to regain his lost memories. And not just for the reason stated above. There was a another reason for it as well. He wanted to find out who had caused those wounds to him, back when he first arrived in the Menos Forest when Nel had found him. _

_The truth is Ichigo found that he didn't enjoy causing pain or death as much anymore as he did when he was a complete Hollow. But he thought that was quite a good thing in the end. However Ichigo knew there was one person he did want to kill, no matter how few of the Hollow within might remain. He vowed to kill whoever had humiliated him to such a degree._

_Realizing he had not yet answered Nel's question, he turned to look down at his lap and found her face looking up at him expectantly. He smiled._

_"Ah. If I would get to choose, I would wish to regain my memories. Both from before I arrived in the Menos Forest as well as from before I died." He told her softly._

_At this, Nelliel smiled and turned her head again to once more bury it into Ichigo's stomach. Without realising it himself Ichigo began stroking her hair as he once again lost himself in his thoughts._

_[Flashback End:]_

As he rounded a corner he came across a very pissed and battered looking Nnoitra. When Nnoitra's eyes found him the thin man instantly glared at him but surprisingly didn't say a word.

Ichigo quickly deduced Nel must have something to do with it and so he decided to check up on her. Sensing her reiatsu signature had just arrived at her quarters he passed by his quarters and continued on his way to hers.

When Ichigo arrived at the door to her quarters he raised his hand to knock but stopped when the door opened in front of him to reveal the figure of Nel before he even got a chance to open the door. Just as about Ichigo was about to greet her she jumped him. Throwing her arms around his neck she proceeded to hug the living the daylights out of him while shouting incoherrent words that much resembled something along the lines of 'Ichi'.

After she had let go Ichigo tried his best to look annoyed at her but he failed drastically when he looked into her innocent, smiling face. He returned the smile and they moved to sit down, it appeared as if Pesche and Dondochakka weren't around, which was rare they weren't often seen without Nel.

Sitting down Nel once again leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Ichigo had gotten used to this over the last week and if he was being honestly then he would admit that he truly didn't mind. He might even go as far as to say that he did sort of like it.

Deciding to break the silence Ichigo asked her a question. "What did you do with Nnoitra, Nel?"

Nel's eyes visibly narrowed at the mention of the _Sexta_ Espada. It wasn't the world's best kept secret that Nnoitra despiced Nel for the sole reason that she was woman who was higher ranked then a man. Nnoitra wasn't too worried with letting others know of his opinion either. Nel for her part had acted admirable Ichigo thought. She had never once risen to his taunts however from what Nelliel told him she had had to fight him once. And that was on the day of the very first Espada meeting, she had beat him effortlessly back then but Nel believed he was biding his time waiting for a chance to strike at her when she would least expect it.

"It was nothing," Looking into his eyes however she could see he didn't buy her lie for a second, sighing, she continued. "Nnoitra was being his annoying self again. I beat him up when he attacked me. He attempted to use his _resurrección_ and I had to use a bluff to talk myself out of it. You know I'm not allowed to release inside of Las Noches and while I'm certain of my powers I am not sure if I can take Nnoitra's released form without releasing myself."

Ichigo smiled, she was being honest at last. "If Nnoitra bothers you again, just spike your reiatsu briefly. I'd notice and be with you in seconds, I believe I _can_ take Nnoitra without releasing." He told her.

At this she turned her head on his shoulder to look him straight in the face and smiling at him teasingly. "Oh? Did the great Kurosaki Ichigo, _Primera_ Espada just promise to protect me?" She asked batting her eyelashes.

Ichigo for his part groaned. He should've known she would jump at the chance to tease him.

Nel for her part chuckled inwardly. He was so easy. However she decided it was time to show him that which she had been wanting for him to see for a while. Getting up she looked him in the face before giving him a quick kiss on his cheek. Ichigo instantly blushed at this causing Nel to inwardly do a little victory dance. "Thank you Ichi, you know I was just messing with your head. I appreciate it." After this she smiled softly at him causing his blush to dissapear and be replaced by a genuine smile.

"Come with me, there is something I want to show you." She told him before hastily pushing him out of the door. Leaving him to follow her with a confused expression on his face.

During the little time on their way to the lower levels of Las Noches Nel couldn't help but get slightly nervous. She wasn't certain how Ichigo would react to this. On one hand she hoped he would be happy but she knew that wasn't an entirely realistic scenario. After all Nel had been keeping this a secret from him for a short while untill now because she simply hadn't realized the significance it held to him.

Ichigo at the same time was getting confused. It wasn't often Nel or him would leave their quarters for anything. The only times they went out was to meet with Aizen, the Espada, or to find themselves a meal whenever they didn't feel like having one brought over. This time however, Nel had told him she wanted to show him something. He was confident it was important to Nel so he followed her without protest but he couldn't help but wonder in slight anticipation as to what it could be.

As if on cue, Nel stopped in front of a door at the end of a long hallway in one of the lowest levels of Las Noches. She looked at him with an apologetic expression for reasons Ichigo did not understand. Grabbing a key that was hanging on the wall next to the door Nel inserted it and unlocked the door.

"I want you to know, Ichigo. That had I known, I would've told you sooner." She said as she opened the door and pushed Ichigo through.

Ichigo for his part was confused. Firstly it was Nel's last words and the apologetic expression that was clearly etched onto her features. Secondly, right now he was located in a very small, dark room, the only light came from a small window opposite of the door.

As he scanned the room more thoroughly though he was startled to find a couple of purple-colored eyes looking at him intently. The eyes were dull and lifeless. They looked like the sort of eyes of a person who had given up on living, who would live her last days and accept whichever fate was bestowed upon them.

However as the owner of the lifeless eyes locked eyes with Ichigo and took in his facial features her eyes widened in shock. Life reappeared in them as her jaw dropped.

"I-Ichigo?" A woman's voice asked, shocked.

Ichigo for his part was rooted to his spot the moment that word left her mouth. He didn't know how to react to this, it had just happened again, he met another person who knew him but he himself couldn't for the love of God remember who she was at all. One thing however was certain, this person was not a human, no, Ichigo was certain this person was a Shinigami. He could tell by her reiatsu. But if that was true she could be only one person. Ichigo however decided to bide his time for now and see how things would turn out.

"Y-yes?" He stammered unsure of what to say and having lost his ability of speech almost completely.

At his respons the girl got up quickly threw her arms around his neck and hugged with more strength then such a little girl could possibly posses muttering words of 'I'm sorry'.

Ichigo meanwhile having gotten over the main part of his shock decided to take in her features. She was a small woman, incredibly so and she looked no older then a young human girl she couldn't be taller then 4'9 Ichigo reasoned. She had pale skin and black hair with one bang falling in between her eyes.

But the truth is those weren't the main things he noticed about her. She looked pale, exceptionally so and he was sure this wasn't just because she simply had a pale skin. He could see red marks around her neck as if she'd been bound by it. On top of that he could spot bruices on every exposed part of her body, her face, her arms, her thin legs. The rest of her body was covered by a dirty and ragged piece of the standard Arrancar uniform, though shorter. The little girl's legs would actually be exposed almost untill the knee and she uniform no longer held any sleeves, they looked mostly as if they were torn off.

What Ichigo remembered next shocked him. '_Ne Ichi, is there anything important you would want, like really badly I mean. Something you'd do anything for?' _He remembered Nel's exact words from back then just a couple of days earlier this week. Nel had known and it seemed this was the reason she wanted to know. Perhaps she'd known his answer already before he knew it himself? Or perhaps she'd simply hoped. '_Ah. If I would get to choose, I would wish to regain my memories.' _Those were the first words of the answer he'd given her, and he'd meant them. He quickly realised Nel was helping him regain his memories by letting him talk with someone from his past. He supposed it was a good idea but he still had yet to start talking. The girl was looking at him expectantly and so he decided to break the silence.

"Listen..." He started unsure of how to continue. "I'm not sure how to say this but I'm not exactly the person you think I am."

At his words her eyes took on a sad look but she motioned for him to continue nonetheless.

"I only know my name, it's all that I know of my past life. Any memories from my life itself and a certain event that I believe transpired after my death are gone or atleast hidden." He admitted sadly.

Her face took a grief-stricken look when he'd mentioned he died. "S-So it is true then Ichigo? You're dead?" She asked, silent tears streaming down her face.

Ichigo felt incredibly sorry for her. She was being held a prisoner here and when he entered her cell her character was completely devoid of any life. However when she had recognized him life had almost instantly returned to her eyes in a renewed vigor. After he'd just mentioned that he died and suffered from memory loss her face was consorted with guilt and she quickly looked away, not being able to meet his eyes.

_"Ah._ I'm sorry." He said, at which she started trembling visibly. "But, listen," Ichigo started again, he felt truly sorry for this girl, he was sure her life down here in these cells was horrible if going by the bruises on her body was any indication. She didn't look well fed and that was not to mention what could have happened that caused her to end up here in the first place. Perhaps if she had something to do it would make things easier on her and it could if he was lucky help him regain some of his memories he hoped. "Perhaps you want to help me out?" He asked, and at seeing the confused expression on her face he continued. "I told you I lost my memories, but I would very much want them to return. Perhaps you can help me with that? You knew me during my life didn't you? And perhaps it'll give you something to do as well. I would come by daily to have a little talk with you, I'm sure you wouldn't mind the compandy, would you?" He added with a smile, trying to reassure her. He could see the expression on her face changing instantly. It had gone from lifeless to guilty, to confused and now seemingly to happiness and excitement.

She nodded vigorously in an answer to his question. He smiled at her and made his way over to the door. As he looked back he could still see her sitting in the corner of the dark cell, smiling.

"I'll be back tomorrow then, Shinigami," He said before opening the door and walking through it. Before he got through it entirely however her voice rang out albeit weakly.

"I'm not...Shinigami." She started before continuing. "I'm, Kuchiki Rukia."

At those words, his world went black and chaos ensued for Ichigo.

=0=

_Ichigo stood on a street in a residential area in what appareared to be Karakura Town. In front of him, leaning against a lamp-post was the same Shinigami that was lying in the cell he'd visited just now. She appeared to be bleeding heavily from a wound on her chest area, he could see the wound was clearly in critical condition._

_As he took in his surroundings he saw a Hollow rampaging on his right, crying in agony most likely because of the wound that seemed to be inflicted on his mask._

_"Do you want...to save your family?" The shinigami's voice called out._

_"Ofcourse!" I replied without hesitation, but it didn't seem to be me who was speaking entirely either. "Is there a way!?"_

_"There's only one," she said softly as she grabbed the hilt of her Zanpakutou. "You...must become a Shinigami!" Her voice called out, much stronger this time as she raised her sword at him, holding it up by planting the hilt in her lap._

_My face consorted in shock and confusion. A Shinigami, that wasn't right, I am a Hollow, no I was a Hollow. Before he could delve further into his already confused thoughts her voice rang out again._

_"Thrust this Zanpakutou through your heart and I will pour my powers into you." The Shinigami stated. I was more confused then ever, stabbing myself in my heart, like killing myself? Then again, it wasn't as if I had much of a choice, after all if I did't do this that...Hollow...will kill us all regardless. Those were the thoughts running through Ichigo's mind currently and they confused him because they didn't feel like they were his._

_The Hollow roared a battle cry in the distance, it wouldn't be long now. "I don't know if this will work," The Shinigami admitted, "but there isn't any other way."_

_Strengthening my resolve I made my decision. "Give me the sword, Shinigami." My voice rang out._

_The Shinigami looked him right in the eyes at this before speaking the words that had marked the start to everything. "I'm not Shinigami," She started again in the business like voice. "I'm, Kuchiki Rukia." She finished, a lot more softly._

_As Ichigo heard the Hollow dash out towards them he grabbed the blade of the Zanpakutou and positioned it right over his heart. Looking her in the eyes, he spoke once more before thrusthing the Zanpakutou in his heart._

_"My name is...Kurosaki Ichigo!"_

_=0=_

When Ichigo regained consciousness the first thing he noticed was a weight pressing against his chest as well as the fact that he had somehow ended up in his private quarters. Slowly opening his eyes he could see a head was resting on top of his chest. He identified said head as Nel with her hair spread out all over her face and his chest Ichigo had to admit though she looked incredibly cute. Wait, cute? Where did that just come from? Cute was not a word that was ordinarily in the _Primera'_s dictionary. Regardless he had to admit he even enjoyed the soft melodic snoring originating from the same source.

A couple of minutes later Ichigo decided he should stop delaying the inevitable and so he gently tried to shake Nel out of her nap. Unsurprisingly once her eyes fluttered open she instantly started complaining.

"Mhm, stop, lemme sleep." She whined in a perfect imitation of a child not wanting to get out of bed as he was woken by his mother.

Ichigo chuckled slightly which seemed to work. As soon as Nel laid eyes on the source of the chuckle she shot op violently, a worried expression in her eyes.

"Ichigo!" She called out. "Why didn't you wake me sooner? What happened? How are you feeling?"

At the barrage of questions Ichigo had to think for a moment. As soon as he remember just what had happened before and after he'd lost consciousness his eyes widened.

He remember. He _remembered!_ Kuchiki Rukia, the Shinigami that gave him his powers in his previous life. He remember it as if it were yesterday. He remembered the vision clearly and found it odd that at the time of witnessing the event it was like watching a movie through a stranger's eyes rather then watching something he had experienced before. But now, after waking up he realised he knew exactly what had happened. Even more so he remembered how it had happened and why, which he realised was not something that was even included in the 'vision' as he had chosen to call it. On the other hand, he could not for the love of God remember what had happened after he had thrust the Zanpakutou inside of himself. It was safe to pressume he had indeed gained Shinigami powers and defeated the Hollow attacking them one way or another. But how had his life proceeded from there on? He vowed to find out no matter what it took. Kuchiki Rukia, she could show him his past and if she could, he would repay her the debt he would owe her one way or another.

"Ichi?" Nel's quiet voice called out to him. He'd been staring off into space for the past minutes now and it was obvious she was starting to get a little worried.

"I'm sorry Nel, I was lost in thought." Without thinking about it Ichigo reached out to her and pulled her in a tight embrace, surprising Nel who had to supress a blush at the sudden boldness of his actions.

"Arrigatou, Nel," He started. "I remember, I remember how I gained Shinigami powers. Arrigatou, you have no idea what this means to me."

Nel was caught off guard by his words. She could hear he truly meant it and that it did indeed matter a lot to him just as she had suspected. Despite that she had not expected him to show his gratitude so openly. But she was glad, and so she tightened the embrace with a smile on her face.

=0=

Kuchiki Rukia sat in her small dark cell and for a change she had a smile on her face. Although admittedly she was a little bit worried.

Think back on the day's events she actually chuckled. Kuchiki Rukia had chuckled for the first time in weeks, ever since she had been taken to Soul Society she had not laughed even once.

When she'd been taken to Las Noches she believed she would die. When Aizen extracted the Hougyoku from her she was surprised she didn't feel any sort of pain when his arm entered her body and soul. She was even more surprised when, instead of getting killed on the spot she was sent to the lower dungeons and was locked up. She was glad about it at first, even though she had accepted the fact that she was going to die when her sentence was announced back in Soul Society it didn't mean she was ever happy about it.

But as time passed slowly and when the only light she even got was when the bossy Arrancar brought her food she was slowly starting to wish she'd died after all. The Arrancar in question had even beaten her up quite severely a couple of times for no reason at all, the last time having been just a day or two before.

Her one light in the darkness had come just over a week ago. A green-haired Arrancar had curiously unlocked the door and looked into her cell. Upon seeing the Shinigami she had entered and instantly sat down in front of her. Said Shinigami had been scared of her for quite a while as the only Arrancar she had seen before would bring her food and beat her for no apparent reasons. However as the Arrancar began to talk to her she found that she _wanted_ to reply to her questions, her seemingly innocent nature proved to be genuine after all. The Arrancar who had later introduced herself as Nel had continued to come by daily and occassionally multiple times a day. Rukia had remembered one of her visits in particular.

_[Flashback:]_

_Nel was sitting next to Rukia as they were both talking about their past lives and the events that lead up to their current situations. Nel could tell Rukia was having a hard time telling her about it, despite how much she had claimed she liked Nel's company Nel could tell she didn't trust her completely. Which she understood. The girl had been through a lot and from what she had heard of her past so far she hadn't had an easy life._

_They were interupted however as the door slammed open and an angry looking blonde Arrancar with a mask fragment covering his eyes and forehead entered the cell._

_"Get up! You filthy Shinigami, it's grub time and hurry it up before I-" He instantly stopped as he noticed the Arrancar sitting next to the Shinigami. Green hair. A red mark spread horizontally across her face just beneath the eyes. A cartoon-like mask adorned on top of her head. Yes, there was no question about who this person was._

_As he realized this he instantly kneeled down in front of her and started kissing her boots. "Neliel-sama! My apologies for my rudeness. I was merely speaking to the Shinigami filth, ofcourse none of those words were intended towards you!" He practically pleaded her to believe him._

_Nel in the meantime ignored the man, stood up and walked over to the plate he had been holding. On top of it was nothing more then a dry piece of bread. Bread which even seemed to be outdated, it looked disgusting and Nel was disgusted with this person for bringing this to a prisoner as food._

_"You, stand up." She practically commanded and he obeyed her instantly. "What do you think this is?" She asked indicating the piece of bread. As the man was starting to open his mouth Nel interupted him again. "I care nothing for your words. Bring us the biggest most luxurous meal the cooks of Las Noches have to offer for two people and have it brought here instantly. Tell them those are orders of the Tercera and there will be consequences if they aren't obeyed."_

_The Arrancar meanwhile was baffled. Him, a luxurous meal with the Tercera Espada? He didn't know what to say. "Y-You want to have a meal with me? I'm just a lowly Numerós and-" And that's as far as he got._

_"You idiot! I have no intention to dine with an uncivilised barbarian such as yourself. The meal I talked about is for me and Rukia." She stated pointing at herself and the Shinigami which seemed to surprise the man. However before he got a chance to reply, Nel continued her tirade._

_"Well what are you waiting for? Are you that lacking in the brains department that you can't even comprehend your own language?"_

_"B-But she's a-" He started._

_"Enough! You have your orders, now get out of my face before I have you executed on the spot!" Nel bellowed in righteous anger._

_The blonde Arrancar was gone from the room before either of them could blink._

_[Flashback End:]_

As Rukia remembered that day she could honestly say now that it had been hilarious. And the meal she had gotten out of it had been amazing. She had thought at first that Las Noches, being located in Hueco Mundo only held the most disgusting of food. However she changed her stereotype view of Hueco Mundo as soon as that meal had appeared in front of her.

It had been delicious and it was exactly what she needed. She trusted Nel, which now she had learned was not her full name, completely. Although she was curious to know what kind of rank Nel held to command such respect, if there even was such a thing as ranks among Arrancar. And so when Nel had come to her a few days later stating that she wanted her to meet a dear friend of hers she was hesitant at first. But she knew Nel would do nothing to harm her, if she trusted this friend then he couldn't possibly be so bad. And so she had agreed.

When no more then two days later a person she did not recognize at first appeared in front of her. She thought it must be the person Nel had mentioned, though she was a bit suspicious of why Nel wasn't with him. When she recognized this person however she couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. The person that had been starring in her nightmares ever since she was forcefully removed from the real world, appeared to stand right before her. She would be the first to admit that he looked completely different yet exactly the same. His clothes seemed to be the regular Arrancar outfit only with a tight sleeveless vest with a high collar which hid his face up to and including his mouth from view. His hair was slightly longer though Rukia couldn't know exactly how long as this too was hidden behind the collar. But his eyes and facial features remained the same. She was certain that standing before her was Kurosaki Ichigo and the only coherrent word she could form at the time was his name.

As Ichigo stated his situation and purpose she was sad yet at the same time she was glad. She would make it up to him, she would make him remember no matter how much he would hate her. When he left she decided to tempt fate. She had heard how people suffering from a form of memory less could be helpd to remember by imitating certain events. So when he bid her goodbye and adressed her as Shinigami she took her chance. She said those very same words to him that she had said when she had first met him when he was still alive. And she believed it had worked, atleast she got a reaction. His eyes glazed over after they had widened at her response and he soon lost consciousness.

Thinking back on it she couldn't wait for Ichigo's next visit. If he was as trustworthy as he had been during his life, she would take him up on his word and expect him tomorrow. And while he may be a Hollow now, she vowed to make up for her mistakes nonetheless.

=0=

Urahara Kisuke was sitting in his underground basement watching as Yoruichi and Isshin were sparring with one another. Both of them had been training fiercely ever since their crushing defeat at the hands of Aizen's lieutenants.

Isshin had been ashamed more then anything, for more then one reason as well. First of all he had lost to Tousen before the battle had even started. And the second reason was because indirectly it was his fault that Yoruichi had gotten injured as severely as she had. Had it not been for Isshin losing to Tousen that quickly Tousen would've not been able to assist Ichimaru. Nonetheless both Urahara and Yoruichi had managed to convince him of the fact that he wasn't the one to blame.

Yoruichi on the other hand had been in some sort of shock for the first few hours after she had regained consciousness. It wasn't just the fact that she had lost. Ichimaru was a true prodigy after all and his skills certainly hadn't dulled in the last century. Yoruichi's on the other hand, certainly had. But no it wasn't just that. More importantly Urahara believed she had been shocked by the amount of pain she had been in. Yoruichi had been wounded before but the way she had been mangled by Ichimaru was something she had never experienced before. Seeing and feeling your own get severed in such a brutal way was something you just needed to get over in time. Yoruichi's way of doing this was to make sure she kept improving and do everything within her power to keep it from happening again.

Yesterday had been a hectic day. Urahara Kisuke had been fooled by a pair of two Arrancar. He had felt a strong Hollow-like signature appear in the middle of Karakura Park but he was sure it was something the three teens could easily handle. He had no idea however that they were being lured in a trap. He was quite ashamed of himself in the end, he had been fooled by one of the most basic tricks in the book and he hadn't even realized it untill it was too late.

From what information Urahara had gathered from the three teens he was positive it had been Ichigo who attacked them but for as far as Urahara had been told Ichigo had stepped out after he had temporarily taken out Sado. The woman had then taken over and if Urahara wasn't mistaken she had been toying with them all the time. It wouldn't surprise him if they were sent not to kill but instead to find out more about the powers of the three teens. After all, Aizen had not seen them fight in Soul Society. On the other hand he had been told that Ichigo was ordered to kill them. It could've been a bluff to bring out their full potential though, it was a fact that the majority of people would fight better if they knew their life was on the line.

Urahara wondered just how powerful these two Arrancar had been though. If Ichigo's Hollow form was anything to go by, his power would be truly devastating as an Arrancar that much was for sure. One thing was for certain though, none of the two had shown even close to their full potential during the short skirmish yesterday.

He was brought out of his musings as he heard someone descending the metallic stairs down to his basement. He had an inkling as to who it could be. Waiting for his suspicions to be confirmed he was soon rewarded.

"Urahara-san," Yasutora Sado's voice called out.

Turning his head to face the large boy he found said person kneeling on the ground in front of him, Inoue Orihime was standing behind him, slightly embarrassed by Sado's manner of greeting it appeared.

"Urahara-san, please!" Sado called out. "Please, train us!"

Urahara had expected this. He had been waiting for it for a while in fact and it'd taken a lot more then he had thought it would. He'd thought they'd have come for him after their adventure in Soul Society but it appeared as if he'd been wrong again and it'd taken a lot more then just that.

He was interested though. Not only by their powers in general no, he also wanted to know just how strong they could become. After all, they were still humans. As Aizen had said, even Shinigami have a limit and so logically the same goes for humans. The question however was, where the limit lay.

"How about Ishida-san, doesn't he wish to be trained?" Urahara asked, already knowing the answer.

"It appears he's being trained by someone else Urahara-san, he called us earlier and he too advised us to seek training from you." Sado stated.

Urahara had known Ryuuken had actually started training his son. Both Urahara and Kisuke were surprised to hear of this but they accepted it without question. Even if his methods were almost as 'unorthodox' as Urahara's, if one person could bring out the potential inside of Ishida Uryuu it would be his own father. It would only be fair of Urahara to train his other two friends so that, when the time came, they could all stand together.

"Yasutora Sado, Inoue Orihime, I accept your request. I will train you on the condition that you do not complain about my methods." Urahara explained.

Gratitude and relief was visible on their face. As well as slight apprehension. They knew it wasn't going to be easy, but they would give their all to improve. Ichigo would've done the same for them after all.

=0=

The next day Ichigo and Nel both arrived at Rukia's cell early in the afternoon. They had decided it they'd go together from now on, just in case something similar to last time happened.

As they entered and sat down next to eachother, opposite of Rukia they noticed said person was smiling. She did look a lot better then she did yesterday and she appeared rather anxious. As if to prove his point she started talking mere seconds later.

"Ichigo..." She started but paused unsure of how to continue. "I realise you're not exactly the same person that I knew but I know that down there somewhere that person is still there.

Before you start asking questions about your...previous life, though I would like to warn you. Most of the bad things that happened to you were because of me and even though it is largely my fault you ended up the way you are now I want you to know that I am truly sorry for everything and that I did enjoy our time together in the real world very much. And, I like to think you did as well." She explained quietly.

Ichigo could only stare at her in response. Whatever it was she did, he didn't believe it could be that bad. From what he remembered now she had offered him her Shinigami powers out of necessity, if she hadn't they both would have died. He realised she was feeling incredibly guilty though and if she helped him remember he promised himself he'd help her get rid of that guilt of her.

"Shiniga-" Ichigo interupted himself as he realised it wouldn't be right to keep calling her that. She had a name and in the past he had ofcourse called her by that, and so he should do so now as well.

"Rukia," Ichigo started. "There is no need to feel guilty, I may not remember the entire story but I remember how and why you shared your Shinigami powers. You offered me a choice and I chose to take you up on your offer. Had I not taken you up on it I would've died, that much is certain."

Ichigo could see the words did reassure her slightly but he guessed it would take a lot more then that to completely get it out of her system. She'd probably been feeling like this since her return to Soul Society and it must've only increased when she found out he was in fact a Hollow now.

"Perhaps not. But that is not up to you to decide, not yet atleast. I do not ask for your pity I ask for your forgiveness and that is not something you can give me before you remember everything." Rukia said.

"Very well. If that is how you want it to be then that's the way it's going to be." Ichigo said, shaking his head with a slight smile on his face. "Just know, that if you do this for me I will be eternally grateful. It does mean a lot to me."

Ichigo chuckled at the dumbfounded expression on her face. He had an idea why that was. "I suppose you're not exactly used to interacting with Hollow are you, Rukia?" He asked, smiling.

Rukia meanwhile, still couldn't do much more then stare at the Hollow in front of her. Her old friend Kurosaki Ichigo. He'd become a Hollow and subsequently an Arrancar but she was starting to realize that there still parts of him hidden inside there somewhere, and they would surface every now and then.

"You should know that becoming an Arrancar does not only increase your power but generally one also becomes more intelligent and actually starts to feel emotions other then anger and hate." Ichigo explained.

Rukia's eyes widened at this. She had expected pretty much all Arrancar to be the same as Hollow. Which is why she had at first been so surprised to find that Nel was actually a very pleasant woman albeit a bit childish at times. Secondly she had noticed Ichigo was actually fairly pleasant company up untill now as well. He wasn't rude, angry or hateful. After yesterday it is not what she had expected of him either but it still didn't cease to amaze her. The fact that she was basically socializing with Hollow was after all something unheard of back in Soul Society.

"_Ah._ I understand. It's just a little hard to get used to." She started. "But enough of that, what do you want to know, Ichigo?"

=0=

Walking back from Las Noches lower level after spending close to three hours with Rukia, Ichigo couldn't help but think back on it.

He had learned a lot from Rukia. For example he learned that his family was very important to him, he had a father and two sisters and Rukia told him he had seen his mother die in front of him a couple of years earlier and that he'd always blamed himself for her death. Rukia explained how his mother died and the resulting confrontation with his mother's killer after he had taken Rukia's Shinigami powers.

Rukia also told him about Sado, Inoue and Ishida. It seemed as if Sado had been his best friend for a while now. While Ichigo had never explained his the relationships he had with his friends in detail she had gathered that much herself.

Inoue seemed to be a person he had been steadily growing closer to when he had saved her after her brother had turned into a Hollow.

Ishida had been someone who disliked Ichigo greatly merely because he was a Shinigami. The 'natural enemy' of a Quincy. Their dislike had been mutual but it appeared they had bonded when they succeeded to drive of a Menos Grande and many dozens of other Hollow together. The cause of all those Hollow in the first place had been a 'friendly contest' which eventually got a bit out of hand.

Ichigo had felt a bit bad because apparently his former friends still cared for him greatly. They didn't understand however. Aizen had given him that which he longed for most at the time. Aizen had helped him gain power and in return he would serve Aizen. If Aizen had indeed given the order to kill them, Ichigo was afraid he would've had no choice despite how much he disliked killing in general. One would think his old friends would realise that the Ichigo they knew was gone though. He'd become a Hollow, evolved into a Vasto Lorde, swore loyalty to Aizen Sousuke and had finally become an Arrancar and an Espada. Even though they were not aware of all of those points, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out that he was no longer on their side.

Looking to his right, he found Nel calmly walking by his side. She had been mostly silent throughout his conversing with Rukia. He appreciated the gesture for he believed she'd done it because his past was something that was his alone. It wasn't something she could really help him with. Regardless, her silence was starting to freak him out as he laid a hand on her shoulder to shake out of er thoughts a loud voice interupted him.

"Well, if it isn't Aizen's dream duo," The annoying voice of Nnoitra rang out. Ichigo took a quick look at his surroundings, they had arrived outside not long ago, intending to take a shortcut to their quarters. If it came to it this place would suffice for a quick battle.

Looking over to Nel he saw annoyance flash across her face briefly again. One would've easily missed it, but he knew her too well for that.

"Nnoitra," Nel's voice rang out. "What is it that you want?" She asked, annoyed.

"I want a fight to the death! And I want it now, Nelliel!" Nnoitra yelled, raising his huge axe-like weapon into the air.

Nel meanwhile, closed her eyes and shook her head in disgust. Sighing she made to unsheathe her Zanpakutou. Before she got the chance to however, a hand stopped her. Looking up, she met the face of Ichigo looking at her.

"Let me-" He started.

"No, this is my fight Ichi. You should realise that. Don't bother to interfere, this will be over shortly." She cut him off rather rudely.

Ichigo knew she had a point but that didn't mean he had to like it. He'd wanted an excuse to beat Nnoitra into the ground ever since he first laid eyes on him.

"Well!? Are you ready Nelliel? Are you sure you don't want our dear _Primera_ to help you!?" Nnoitra asked her mockingly.

Slowly, Nel unsheathed her Zanpakutou before holding it up and pointing it towards Nnoitra. As she raised her gaze towards Nnoitra she said only a few words before dissapearing into a buzz of _sonido._

"Three minutes, this will be over in three minutes."

=0=

_And another chapter done. Personally I had a lot of trouble writing this one. I have tried my best at reintroducing Rukia into the story. This is vital as she will play an important role later on. I hope the way she was brought in again was satisfactory though as I certainly didn't find it as easy as I had hoped._

_As you have read our three human friends have started training as well. They will become more powerful, exactly what kind of level they can be expected to reach however I do not yet know._

_Next I noticed I have received a lot of comments and questions concerning an Ichigo/Harem 'pairing'. Personally I don't really like those all that much but more then that I don't believe it will fit in well with my story and I prefer to have him remain faithful, so to speak. So no it's not likely that'll ever happen, sorry to dissapoint those who may have hoped it would._

_Lastly I'd like for all of you to take note of the fact that we're starting to reach a sort of turning point in the story. Ichigo is starting to figure out most of his emotions and desires. He realises he wouldn't want to kill his friends but hides this again by covering it up with the fact that he has sworn loyalty to Aizen and thus will have to do as he is ordered._

_Again thanks for reading another chapter and I ask you to review and let me know what you thought of it once more!_


	8. The Bond Which Had Been Severed

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach!

**Minato Uzumaki:** About the harem. That's exactly the way I see it and pretty much the sole reason I do not intend to turn into one. Well that and the fact that I never liked harem stories too much myself.

**X009:** Well it is not that I have exactly cut out Harribel. But if you mean that she hasn't made an appearance then ofcourse you're right. Harribel is one of the top three Arrancar in Canon and so she's bound to make an appearance at one point or another in my story that much I can promise. On the other hand I do not have any plans for her just yet, she might even appear as a Hollow instead of an Arrancar. Who knows? I certainly don't, yet.

And on the topic of Fracción. I believe I will eventually introduce atleast one however the chance that it is going to be an OC is small. I have yet to decide on which of the Numerós will become Ichigo's Fracción if I go through with it though.

**DarkJason:** I can tell this much. Even though characters such as Isshin, Inoue, Ishida, Sado and others have appeared mostly on the background up untill now I can assure you their role will still be important further throughout the story.

And concerning any possible lemons. I have absolutely no idea about that. I have given it some thought but have yet to decide on that matter. Though I am admittedly leaning more towards no lemons at this point it doesn't mean that my current thoughts are final on the matter.

**Chapter 7: The Bond Which Had Been Severed**

As Ichigo heard Nelliel's words before she dissapeared in a buzz of _sonido_ he couldn't help but smirk. In the end, he supposed there wasn't really anything to worry about. Nel had been a Vasto Lorde just as he had been, her power far exceeded Nnoitra's.

Looking at said man Ichigo frowned. He'd always wondered why Nnoitra had chosen to use a weapon such as his. If anything it looked like a giant axe with two crescent moon shaped blades on it, one facing towards the wielder and one facing towards the opponent. Other then that the large black chain that was connected to the end of his weapon was bound across Nnoitra's waist.

It appeared to be a very slow yet powerful weapon in close range melee but Nnoitra wasn't slow and something didn't add up here. No, It must be a ranged weapon more then anything, Ichigo surmised. If the chain was any indication then Ichigo was confident Nnoitra would use it to throw his weapon around. Nel had fought Nnoitra twice before already but she hadn't said much about it and Ichigo had never seen Nnoitra fight personally. He decided to simply watch the battle as it proceeded, it should be interesting.

=0=

As Nel reappeared at Nnoitra's side she made a quick horizontal slash towards his neck only for it to be blocked by Nnoitra's huge weapon. Instantly taking advantage of the fact that Nnoitra's weapon was too heavy to be used for an instant counterattack she stabbed her sword through the opening of the crescent moon shaped blade, aiming for his throat. Nnoitra was barely fast enough to dodge her thrust as he spun to the side his shoulder however was still grazed by Nelliel's blade.

"First blood." Were the only two words Nelliel said as she looked Nnoitra in the eyes for a split second before dissapearing again.

_10 seconds._

When Nel reappeared right in front of Nnoitra, this time, he was prepared and he instantly launched a roundhouse kick towards Nel's head which she in turn blocked with her right arm and proceeded to grab a hold of it.

Nnoitra, sensing the danger it posed to have his leg held stuck in mid air raised his weapon above his head and slammed it down, causing dust to rise up and twist around them, obscuring them from the vision of their only spectator.

_20 seconds._

When the dust cleared however, it showed Nelliel blocking Nnoitra's blade with her Zanpakutou. Her mouth was open and a _Cero_ could be seen forming.

As Nnoitra took notice of this he panicked inwardly. Not knowing what else to do he raised his blade towards the sky again, leaving himself wide open, only to regret that action a moment later. He could feel cold steel slashing vertically over his torso. His Hierro taking most of the damage but blood was still spilled and he could hear himself cry out in pain. Before he could even think of what to do next the leg that was held up into the air was grabbed with both Nel's hands and he was thrown in a straight line into the direction Nelliel's back had been facing untill now. Looking forward his eyes widened as he saw Nel, _Cero_ still charging, aim for him and fire her_ Cero._ Nnoitra currently was wide open with no way to get out of the _Cero'_s path.

Nelliel watched as her _Cero_ approached Nnoitra who had left himself wide open, his weapon dangling on it's chain several feet away from Nnoitra. Too far for him to react in time and grab it to block part of the _Cero'_s impact. As her _Cero_ hit it's target a large explosion rocked the outer walls of Las Noches. Dust and debris rose up all around where Nnoitra had been and went as far as to conceal even her. She hoped he was atleast alive, it hadn't been and would never be her intention to kill Nnoitra. When the dust started clearing however she was surprised to see Nnoitra standing exactly where her _Cero_ had impacted, inside of a large crater. Looking at him she decided he was definitely the worse for wear. The large hat he often wore was reduced to nothing but ashes and the majority of his clothing was singed and showed the signs of obvious burn marks. His skin too showed angry red burns on multiple spots. She was surprised however to see that Nnoitra had survived and knowing Nnoitra he would still be able to continue fighting in his state. One thing was obvious though, he was tiring quickly, as his breathing was ragged and tired.

"I'm surprised to still see you stand, Nnoitra," Nel's voice rang out impassively, it's how she prefered it when in battle. Emotions were nice but in battle they could often hinder you.

"Tch. I ain't stupid, _Nelliel!_" Nnoitra spat. "I fired my own _Cero _at yours to reduce the impact I was hit with."

Nelliel was quite surprised, she'd never guessed Nnoitra had it in himself to even think of such things. "So you can use your brain after all, or perhaps you can't it could've been mere instinct, but you're still nowhere near beating me."

_50 seconds._

This enraged Nnoitra even further and he instantly threw his Zanpakutou at Nelliel. She, in turn, easily sidestepped the massive weapon, raised her Zanpakutou above her head and swung it down at the chain connected to Nnoitra's weapon, causing it to sever instantly and the weapon to land in the soft sand with a dull thud.

Nnoitra's eyes widened at this and before he even got a chance to react, Nel dissapeared and reappeared in front of him, the tip of her Zanpakutou's blade positioned at his throat.

_1 minute._

_=0=_

Ichigo in the meantime was impressed. Truth be told he hadn't seen Nel fight that often except for some friendly spars with him as well as with a few of the other Espada.

Nel had had complete control all throughout the battle. Ichigo was impressed with the speed she displayed. Being someone who valued speed highly since it was one of his greatest strengths he could appreciate hers greatly. It was a speed that was obviously attained through lots of hard work. Though wether this hard work had been done as an Arrancar or back as a Vasto Lorde Ichigo couldn't tell.

She had claimed she would finish the battle in three minutes and instead had done it in one. Ichigo wondered wether she knew she could've done it in one minute. Then again, knowing Nelliel, he supposed she had known.

His was distracted from his thoughts by a voice coming from his left.

"Nnoitra-sama!" A voice on Ichigo's left side yelled.

Turning his head Ichigo spotted a slim looking male Arrancar with blonde hair. He had an odd looking turqoise colored mark on his right cheek and wore an eyepatch on his right eye. The remnants of his Hollow mask appeared to be a thin upper jaw which formed a circle around his forehead. If Ichigo wasn't mistaken this was Nnoitra's _Fracción_, Tesla was his name he believed.

Said person instantly rushed towards where Nnoitra and Nelliel were standing, obviously intending to help his master. Ichigo however decided to interfere.

Vanishing on the spot he reappeared behind the running form of Tesla, unsheathed his Zanpakutou, switched it to a reverse grip and positioned the blade against Tesla's throat as he held said person in place by holding a hand over his mouth and pulling him towards his chest.

Tesla's eyes visibly widened as he was grabbed from behind and felt a blade press into his throat. The expression on his face clearly showed that he was aware of who's blade exactly was pressing into his throat as well. It wasn't that hard to figure out after all, the two of them had been the only two present around here except for Nnoitra and Nel.

"This doesn't concern you. This battle isn't yours to fight, Tesla. Nnoitra decided to challenge Nelliel into a fight to the death. It is not your right to interfere in this. If Nelliel decides to, she has every right to finish off your master." Ichigo replied calmly, before removing his hand and slowly his blade as well.

As he sheathed his Zanpakutou again he had to admit he felt sorry for the _Fracción. _For reasons Ichigo did not understand Tesla was fanatically loyal to Nnoitra. Nnoitra on the other hand held no thoughts of sympathy whatsoever towards his only _Fracción_. He was treated no better then a common servant.

"_H-Hai_, Ichigo-sama." Tesla reluctantly replied.

=0=

"One minute, we're done." Nelliel said, just before she removed her Zanpakutou from his throat and sheathed it again as she turned her back on Nnoitra she started to walk away.

"Wait!" Nnoitra's voiced yelled at her. She replied by turning her head to look at him. "I said this was the final showdown, a battle to the death! Why are you walking away, are you afraid of me Nelliel!?" He cried out furiously.

"A battle to the death? You mean untill one of us finishes off the other?" Nelliel asked him.

"Damn right." Nnoitra replied, obviously not concerned for his own fate were such a battle to actually happen.

Nelliel could only look at him impassively. "Not happening." She stated flatly. "Stop trying to act like a grown-up" She continued causing Nnoitra to growl in anger.

"We've been transformed from humans to Hollow, becoming nothing more then mindless beasts." Nelliel started. "We regained logical minds once we became Arrancar. Those that think logically require a reason to fight."

After this she paused. Attempting to let realisation dawn upon Nnoitra. It was good she didn't expect him to get what she meant, for no realisation of the meaning behind her words showed on his face.

"You lack that." She stated flatly. "I do not have a reason to fight you. Meaning I have no obligation to finish you off."

Nnoitra became only more enraged at her words. The sad part being that her words weren't even meant to anger him, they merely informed him of the truth.

"I have a reason! I hate you!" Nnoitra shouted.

Nelliel could only close her eyes and sigh at this. "That's not a reason. That's instinct." She replied wearily.

"You're an animal. I don't recognize you as a warrior. You're not someone I have to fight against. Thus I don't feel like being burdened with taking the life of someone who's not even a warrior." She finished as she turned around and once again started walking back towards where Ichigo was standing. Nodding at him they walked away and soon dissapeared from sight.

=0=

Later that night both Ichigo, Nel and her _Fracción_, Pesche and Dondochakka were located in the sitting room of Nel's living quarters.

Ichigo had thought a lot about Nel's words to Nnoitra over the past hours. He especially remembered her mentioning a reason to fight, mentioning that Nnoitra had no reason and that it was merely instinct to attack someone whom you hated. Instinct, like a beast, like a Hollow.

Both Ichigo and Nel were very much aware of the fact that they were still Hollow even though they had regained their logical minds by becoming Arrancar. Ichigo was rather confused though. What was his reason to fight? He fought when attacked, but then, wasn't that instinct as well? And wouldn't that in turn put him in the same category as Nnoitra? Other then that his only reason to fight was if Aizen ordered him to do so.

Nel meanwhile, had been wondering why Ichigo had been so silent ever since her battle with Nnoitra. Ichigo had never been one to talk constantly, but he was still pleasant company who liked to speak occassionally. Tonight however, this didn't seem to be the case. She thought she might have an idea as to why he'd been so silent all this time, and so she decided to check if she was right.

"Ichigo, what is bothering you?" She asked, tentatively.

"It's not-" He started but he was instantly cut off by her again.

"Don't give me that. You know I know you better then that so speak up." She replied calmly.

He sighed, he should've realised she'd see through his lies. "It's just that, you spoke of reasons to fight earlier today after your battle with Nnoitra. I don't have any reasons to fight except to do so when Aizen orders me to or when others attack me first, which sounds an awful lot like the instinct you mentioned." Ichigo explained.

It appeared as if Nel had guessed right indeed. She knew she should've been more careful with her words. Ichigo was intelligent in his own right, but he seemed to have an awful lot of trouble with figuring out his own goals, emotions and views on certain things, one of them being this.

"We all fight when Aizen orders us to Ichigo. That, atleast, is one thing we all have in common. We have all _chosen_ to swear loyalty to him so obeying orders is expected of us. However one could still choose to turn his back on Aizen which is another proof of the fact that we have logical minds. Nnoitra on the other hand, would never choose to turn his back on him unless he stopped supplying Nnoitra with the fights he seeks." Nelliel explained.

"That is why he is different from us. He seeks only battle, like any ordinary Hollow living in Hueco Mundo does. He has gained a logical mind but he does not use it, and so he remains an animal." She continued.

"Another thing we all have in common is that we will defend ourselves when attacked. This is not instinct, this is common sense. The difference is that where we choose to defend ourselves first, people like Nnoitra will always be the ones who choose to attack the other first. We would seek a peaceful solution first if the choice were at all present. You, like me, do not like to spill blood needlessly, that much I know, Ichigo." She finished with a smile.

Ichigo felt relief flood his system. She was right, her arguments made sense. Truth be told it wasn't something which was hard to think of either, he believed he was simply too caught up in his emotions to think logically and find the answer he sought. He smiled at her in return, wordlessly thanking her.

"But I'm tired so I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning Ichigo." Nel said as she yawned.

"Oi, Nel?" Ichigo called out to her just before she dissapeared into her bedroom. "You mind if I bunk on the couch over here? I don't really feel like walking back to my quarters and seeing as Pesche and Dondochakka are fast asleep in the other couch as well." He told her suggestively.

She smiled at this, he obviously wasn't too comfortable asking such a question. Perhaps he was more tired then he seemed it never did show too well on him. "Sure, Ichi," She replied as sheclosed the door to her bedroom. "Good night".

=0=

Kuchiki Byakuya was sitting in his Division's office late at night. Thinking about the events of the past weeks that simply wouldn't leave his mind.

Byakuya had felt extremely conflicting emotions when Rukia's sentence was announced. He had promised Hisana he would find Rukia and take care of her, it had been her death wish. He respected it as such and had done as she had asked but it was hard to look at someone who resembled the one person that meant everything to you so much. And by respecting and carrying through Hisana's final wish he had also broken the Kuchiki family's law once again.

The first time he had broken it was when he had accepted Hisana, a commoner, into the noble Kuchiki Clan by marrying her.

And the second time he adopted Rukia into the Kuchiki Clan to honor Hisana's final wish.

This time however he felt he couldn't help Rukia. After he had adopted her into the Kuchiki family he had sworn in front of his parent's graves that he would never break the rules again, no matter what. And rescuing Rukia would go against the law of Soul Society yet at the same time it would go against Hisana's wish of adopting and taking care of Rukia.

But before he had managed to make up his mind Rukia was taken to Hueco Mundo. It had come completely unexpected and in the end there had been nothing they could do about it. They were now officially, at war.

Ever since Aizen had left Soul Society no new information had come up about him or his movements. Urahara Kisuke had explained them that it was likely Aizen would intend to create an army of Arrancar by using the Hougyoku to give Hollow a logical mind and Shinigami powers. Soul Society had sent some scouts to Hueco Mundo to attempt to gather information about Aizen. However since none ever returned they had stopped sending them at all.

The only bit of information they'd managed to gather up untill now was the fact that three of the ryoka, the humans if Byakuya wasn't mistaken. Had been attacked by two powerful Arrancar. The attack they believed, had been to discover just how powerful the three humans were. As it were it appeared they hadn't exactly impressed the Arrancar. That in itself however was not what worried Byakuya the most. According to Urahara and his group one of the Arrancar was the human turned Hollow Kurosaki Ichigo. Son of Kurosaki Isshin and the human who was the cause of Rukia's sentence in the first place. Byakuya had thought the boy would've simply died and went on to Soul Society. It appeared that instead he'd turned into a Hollow.

Those were all things that had the Sixth Division _taicho_ concerned but his main worry was still the same as it had been a few weeks ago. Kuchiki Rukia. Was she still alive? Urahara had told them that the object, the Hougyoku, Aizen intended to retrieve from her soul could be removed without her losing her life in the process. Seeing as Aizen hadn't used the Soukyoku it was likely he had found the other method and had proceeded to retrieve the item from her when he arrived in Hueco Mundo.

The real question was however, had she been killed after Aizen got his hands on the Hougyoku or had she been imprisoned? Truth be told, logic stated that Aizen would have killed her off instantly. But Byakuya wouldn't believe that he had untill he saw a body, he vowed that if there were any sign that his adopted sister was still alive, that he would rescue her even if it was the last thing he ever did.

=0=

The next morning Ichigo stood on the training field, working on his Kidou again. Both Aizen and Ichimaru stood close to him watching him work on the new spells they'd assigned.

Ichigo had now finally finished with _Bakudou #37 - Tsuriboshi, Hadou #63 - Raikouhou _as well as _Bakudou #61 - Rikujyoukourou._ And so Aizen had instructed him in the use of a new _Bakudou_ spell while Ichimaru had taught him another _Hadou_ spell.

The spell Aizen had taught him was called _Bakudou #73 - Tozansho_ it was one of the higher level spells and it certainly was quite tough to get right. When performed correctly however it would form an inverted pyramid shaped barrier around the caster. Anyone close to the caster would thus be locked inside of it as well. The barrier could be made stronger, tougher and even larger the more reiatsu one poured into it. For now however Ichigo had managed to get to the point where he could form the barrier without the incantation although it took some time and concentration and he couldn't yet add more reiatsu to it without losing control of the _Kidou._

Ichimaru had wanted to teach him _Hadou #73 - Soren Soukatsui_. Ichigo had been reluctant to learn this one however as soon as he heard it was simply two blue balls of energy rather then a single one like in the _Hadou #33 - Soukatsui._

Ichimaru had attempted to have him realise that the spell truly was powerful. And among _Hadou_ spells he said, _Hadou #33 _was one of the most used spells in a Shinigami's arsenal. Not only because it was one of the easier to learn offensive spells. But also because it's power could be increased drastically, depending on the capacity of one's reiatsu.

Ichigo had still believed it to be unnecessary so Ichimaru merely decided to show him. As Ichimaru had fired his own _Hadou #33 _at a training dummy Ichigo couldn't believe what he was seeing. Instead of a large blue ball of energy that should have emerged from Ichimaru's palm. A gigantic _beam_ of blue energy emerged from it. It was larger then any _Cero_ Ichigo had ever seen and the training dummy was completely annihilated upon contact. Ichimaru then explained that his attack wasn't as strong as it could've been because he isn't that good at controlling his reiatsu, so no matter how much he would pour into the attack it would never reach it's full destructive capacity.

He then continued to explain that with _Hadou #73 - Soren Soukatsui_ one could fire two blue balls of energy. People with high amounts of reiatsu control could pour as much reiatsu into it as Ichimaru had just done with his _Hadou #33_ without losing the ball-formed shape of the spell and thus without losing destructive power. Admittedly it would be easier to dodge but that's why _Soren Soukatsui_ fired two balls instead of one.

After hearing hearing this, Ichigo finally decided that he would learn the spell after all.

And so here he stood. Aiming his arm at the training dummy in front of him. He was currently still stuck at trying the spell with the incantation but he felt he was steadily improving.

_"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens."_

As Ichigo whispered the incantation he could feel the way he was supposed to lead his reiatsu through his body. He could feel he was supposed to lead his reiatsu in a single path towards his arm must like a normal _Soukatsui_ spell however when he reached his elbow he would have to separate the path into two paths. This proved far harder then it had originally sounded and while he had made good progress he noticed it had been less quick then with any of the other spells he learned so far. As he lead his reiatsu towards his elbows again he once more attempted to split it into two separate paths. This time he felt he was quite succesful, the paths were controlled very well but it was certainly a start.

"_Hadou #73 - Soren Soukatsui!"_ Ichigo shouted and at the same time two blue balls of energy exited his open palm and instantly collided with one another causing them to pretty much blow up in his face.

Turning his head around he looked at Ichimaru with an annoyed expression. When Ichimaru had demonstrated the spell both balls had turned left and right respectively and hit the target simultaneously from two different sides.

Ichimaru looked thoughtful at this, although Ichigo couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. One hardly ever could when it concerned Ichimaru Gin. "Oh? I didn' jus' forget ta tell ya ya were suppose' ta guide them inta the right direction did I now?"

Ichigo let out an annoyed sigh at this, regardless he decided to continue without complaining. It wouldn't do any good anyway.

=0=

When Ichigo turned to leave after his _Kidou_ practise Aizen asked him to wait for a moment. Confused, Ichigo turned back to face Aizen.

"Ichigo, it has come to my attention there was an...incident, yesterday." At this Ichigo's face looked even more confused so Aizen decided to elaborate a bit further. "I believe hearing the names Nnoitra Jiruga and Nelliel Tu Oderschvank might fresh up your memory a bit." Aizen said calmly.

After hearing Aizen's last words Ichigo instantly knew what Aizen was talking about. He didn't think Aizen would have cared about this as much as he apparently did. Deciding to quit stalling he spoke up.

"_Ah._ There was, Aizen-sama. Nnoitra decided to challenge Nelliel to a fight to the death." Ichigo explained.

As Aizen motioned for him to continue he did just that. "It wasn't much of a fight really. Nelliel beat him in just about a minute and proceeded to spare his life. They got into a bit of an argument after that but otherwise nothing more happened." He finished.

Aizen's face showed no emotion at all after this explanation. It was almost as if he already knew what Ichigo was going to say after all and just wanted it to be confirmed.

"Thank you, Ichigo. It appears I may need to reconsider Nnoitra's position among the Espada if this continues for much longer." Aizen stated. "We cannot have one Espada challenging the others to a fight to the death. It wouldn't do our numbers much good, don't you think?" Aizen asked him with as much humor as Ichigo would probably ever get to see from the man he'd sworn loyalty to.

Ichigo nodded his reply and was dismissed. As he left though he couldn't help but wonder if Aizen had had ulterior motives with this question. Ichigo was sure Aizen should've already known. After all he always knew exactly what was going on around Las Noches.

=0=

After Ichigo had left Aizen he made his way back to his own living quarters. He wasn't exactly tired but he felt like taking a quick nap, he didn't think Nel was up yet anyway. She was such a late sleeper.

When Ichigo rounded the next corner he came face to face with Szayel Aporro, the _Octava_ Espada. That alone however was nothing out of the ordinary. Espada members bumped into eachother regularly outside of their meetings and some even went as far as to meet eachother frequently. Ichigo and Nel being the most extreme example of that. What bothered Ichigo was the fact that Szayel seemed to be carrying a person around on his shoulder. Even more so, said person had a pair of human legs.

As soon as Szayel realised who was standing in front of him he quickly continued on his way towards his lab.

"Szayel!" The voice of Ichigo called out to him. He quickly started walking faster, not wanting to get caught with what he was carrying, he could only hope the _Primera_ hadn't yet identified what it was exactly.

As he thought this however a buzz of _sonido_ sounded behind and then again in front of him. When Ichigo appeared in front of him he involuntarily took a step back but before he could do any more a hand grabbed him by the collar of his coat and pressed him up against the wall, causing that which he was carrying to fall onto the ground.

"I am not stupid Szayel." Were the first words that left Ichigo's mouth. "I am more then aware of the fact that what you are carrying here is a Shinigami. If I'm not mistaken it's one of the scouts that were sent to Hueco Mundo to investigate the situation here. I believe that Aizen-sama's orders were to leave them alone and let them do as they pleased as long as they didn't enter Las Noches. It's funny though, ever since Aizen-sama made us aware of this these scouts have been mysteriously dissapearing." Ichigo told him.

Szayel in the meantime realised he was in trouble. It had indeed been him who had ordered some of his countless _Fracción _to capture the Shinigami scouts so he could conduct experiments on them in the hope to learn more about Shinigami and how to combat them. But if he was caught his punishment was sure to be severe, of that much he was certain.

"I-I'm sure we can work something out, Ichigo, rela-" Szayel attempted to negotiate but was instantly cut off again.

"No, I'm not sure if we can. I may not be as intellectually genius as you are but I am well aware of the things you are up to in your free time. Thus I am well aware of the things you did with these Shinigami you captured. You are a fool if you think I won't inform Aizen-sama of this, if you are lucky you will only be removed from the _Espada_. If you are unlucky however, I'm sure you can realise what may happen to you." Ichigo said.

Szayel sighed. "It doesn't take a genius to realise that Aizen-sama will likely have me executed if he found out that I ignored his orders no. But you have to understand Ichigo it was for a good cause! I can learn how to combat the Shinigami by conducting these experiments on them!" He exclaimed excitedly. "I'll do anything for you to you keep this quiet, absolutely anything."

Ichigo meanwhile was disgusted by the man. He seemed to be more then okay with the fact that he had _experimented_ with living beings and in this case Shinigami. Who knew what had become of them? Were they still alive and if they were kind of state would they be in right now? But on the other hand Ichigo realised the advantages of having Szayel owe him one. Szayel was a true genius and the things he could create with his inventions were marvelous. Not only that but other then Aizen it appeared Szayel was the one who was most aware of the things going on in Las Noches.

"Very well. You will take this Shinigami along with all the others you have captured and return them close to the area where you have found them. You do that and one more thing, and I will keep my mouth shut." He told Szayel.

Szayel's face looked very annoyed at the prospect of having to return his test subjects but it appeared he realised well enough that the alternative was definitely the worse option. He nodded, motioning for Ichigo to state his last condition.

"You owe me Szayel," Ichigo started. "You owe me big. If I had taken this information to Aizen-sama you would've been executed and so you owe me a favor and you will return the favor I have granted you today whenever I ask you to or whenever you see an opportunity to. I know that next to Aizen you are the person who knows most about the things going on in Las Noches." Ichigo stated.

Szayel let out a long drawn out sigh. He hated favors. But in the end Ichigo was right, any of the other Espada would've reported it to Aizen immediately in the hope of receiving a promotion. He guessed it was lucky he'd come across the _Primera_ if you looked at it that way. After all Aizen could hardly promote this person to an even higher position. "Very well, Ichigo. I'll see you at the next meeting then." Szayel said before quickly turning around, grabbing the body again and making his way to his quarters.

=0=

Later that evening Ichigo was sitting next to Rukia in her cell with Nelliel lying with her head in his lap, snoring softly. Rukia had been telling him about their adventures together again and occassionally Ichigo would tell her about the things that happened to him after he'd arrived in Hueco Mundo.

When he told her how he'd met Nelliel right after he arrived she appeared to be glad for him. He hadn't been alone, he'd had company and that was something that had made her truly happy.

There was one thing Ichigo had noticed about the things Rukia told him. First of all when she talked about it it all seemed like things out of someone else's life, like he'd never experienced them before while in actuality she was talking about him and his life in the real world. The odd part of this was, that as soon as he woke up he would always try to recall the conversation he'd had with Rukia the previous night. As he did this after waking up in the morning he found that he could recall the events they'd talking about perfectly clear. It was if they'd happened only a couple of weeks ago, or in some cases, he guessed it was with memories he'd been particularly fond of or that had been more important then others, it seemed as if it had happened only yesterday.

And slowly but surely Rukia was also starting to tell him about herself. About her life in the 78th District of Rukongai. How she had met up with some kids who later became the very best friends she could have ever hoped for. About how they'd openly gawk each time a Shinigami appeared in Rukongai and how they'd say that one day they'd become Shinigami too. She told him, with some difficulty about how all her friends except one had eventually died, succumbing to the harsh life of the Rukongai. A life that wasn't a kid's to lead. The last thing she told him was that she and her remaining friend Abarai Renji intended to enter the Shinigami Academy to get out of the horrible nightmare that was the Rukongai.

At the mention of Abarai Renji however, Ichigo's world went black, yet again.

=0=

_Ichigo was on his way traveling through Karakura Town. What was Rukia thinking leaving like that? A goodbye note? Who did she think she was? First she sleeps in his closet for two months and next she leaves without so much as saying a proper goodbye._

_As he thought this however, a voice interupted his thoughts from nearby. _

_"Remember this well before you die" It said. "Abarai Renji, the name of the guy who killed you."_

_As Ichigo turned to look at the proceedings he could see a red haired man dressed in a Shinigami's sihakusyou standing in front of Ishida Uryuu who was lying at his feet. Renji's Zanpakutou held high above his head, preparing to strike the finishing blow. Another man, also dressed in a Shinigami's sihakusyou with long black hair that was kept into some kind of intricate white hairpiece. Other then the hairpiece and the Shinigami's sihakusyou he wore an expensive looking white scarf and had his Zanpakutoh located on his left hip._

_"Hold on!" The voice of Rukia resounded through the air. Distracting Ichigo and causing him to look towards the sound of the voice and found her standing several feet away from the two men._

_Ichigo instantly leapt into action and rushed towards the red-haired Shinigami._

_"Nice to meet you!" The red-haired said man shouted before bring his sword down towards Ishida._

_An explosion of reiatsu was unleashed from Ichigo as he got closer to the man who had called himself Abarai Renji causing him to leap away from Ishida, alarmed to the new threat just in the nick of time._

_As the dust caused by Ichigo's appearance cleared he could be seen staring at Renji. Locking eyes they looked at eachother, Renji taking in the appearance of this new threat._

_"Kurosaki Ichigo! The guy who will defeat you!" Ichigo declared almost instantly. "Nice to meet you."_

_"Sihakusyou!?" Renji exclaimed, obviously confused about the fact that another Shinigami had stopped him from landing on the finishing blow on the Quincy. "What Division are you from?" He asked, slightly wary about this Shinigami and concerned as to why he could have possibly chosen to stop him._

_As Ichigo swung his Zanpakutou over his shoulder Renji was amazed at the sheer sight of it. _

_"W-What's up with that ridiculously huge Zanpakutou?" Renji asked, becoming more on guard by the second._

_'The size of a Shinigami's Zanpakutou reflects the amount of Spiritual Power they possess.'_ _That was what Renji thought as he looked at the impressively large blade._

_"Tch. It is big after all." Ichigo stated. "I thought it was big compared to Rukia's but I had no one else to compare it with up untill now."_

_Realisation dawned on Renji's face as Ichigo said those words. So it was him, and it appeared it was true after all. Renji hadn't wanted to believe it._

_"I get it. I get it now." Renji started. "You're the human who took Rukia's powers, aren't you!?" _

_At this, Ichigo and Renji locked their eyes. Both of them knew perfectly well what would come next, their was no peaceful way out of this. And so Renji jumped up into the air and charged at Ichigo._

=0=

Ichigo groaned as he tried to open his eyes, he wasn't sure where he was but he was lying somewhere pretty comfortable that much he could tell. As he tried to open his eyes, darkness claimed him once more.

=0=

_As Ichigo took in the scene in front of him he was confused. It appeared very similar to the one he'd just left, his surroundings were pretty much the same the only difference being that he had moved a bit further down the road._

_The other other, blackhaired Shinigami was still standing in the very same spot. It appeared he hadn't moved an inch since the start of the confrontation._

_Other then that a battered and wounded looking Renji appeared to be kneeling a bit further down the road in front of Ichigo. It was obvious he was out of breath and hadn't been fairing well against him._

_"You're good at scurrying around like a rat, ain't you?" Ichigo heard his voice call out, taunting the red-haired Shinigami. It felt odd, to be a spectator in his own body, he'd heard his voice and felt his mouth move but it was not him that had made the action happen._

_His reiatsu rose and Renji's face took on a look of shock and he appeared to be...afraid? _

_"But that's enough of that!" _

_Ichigo cried out before he leapt into the air, Zanpakutou held high above his head, intending to land the finishing blow. If these bastards wanted to take Rukia, then they'd have to go through him!_

_Ichigo could see Renji's body trembling as if willing himself to move but being unable to do so. As Ichigo closed in on Renji he swung his sword downwards expecting to finish him off once and for all. He was confused however to notice his sword hit nothing but thin air._

_When he looked down he found his Zanpakutou had been reduced in length. There was barely a blade on it let alone a tip. It wasn't much more then a hilt now. He was confused, what had caused this to happen? Taking in the scene in front of him he found that Renji was wearing an expression much like Ichigo's. It couldn't have been him, he's as surprised as I am. But then who was it?_

_And then, realization hit him. Turning his head around he found the black-haired Shinigami holding the blade of his Zanpakutou in one hand, standing at the exact same spot he'd been the entire time. As if he hadn't moved at all._

_His eyes widened in alarm when said Shinigami dropped the blade of Ichigo's Zanpakutou and moved his hand towards the hilt of his own. Quickly turning around to defend himself he noticed the Shinigami dissapear and Ichigo felt a strange feeling run through his body. As he looked down blood spurted from his chest and he couldn't help but wonder how this had happened and where that Shinigami had gone. As he lost the feeling in his legs he started falling forward in what appeared to be slow motion, and as if answering his unasked question a voice spoke up from behind him._

_"You are slow. Even when falling."_

_=0=_

Consciousness once again returned to Ichigo's body. He wondered just how much time had past by now. He could feel the soft and silky feeling of sheets covering his body though there was still a foreign, somewhat soothing object lying on his chest.

Once more Ichigo tried to open his eyes. And as soon as he did this, unconsciousness seemed to overtake him again.

=0=

_When he next appeared in the very same street he wasn't too surprised to find himself lying flat on the ground. His mouth was moving but he could hear no sound coming out of it. It was odd as it was the first time that he hadn't been fully aware of everything that was happening. What he did realise however was that he was staring at the small figure of Kuchiki Rukia who appeared to be standing in front of him with her back facing towards him._

_Before he could figure out why he couldn't make out the words that were supposed to be coming out of his mouth another voice rang out._

_"Don't move!" Rukia shouted at him, her back still towards him._

_"Just try moving one step. Just try coming after me. I-I-" She stammered out, seemingly unable to finish. She turned her head around and looked into his eyes. "I...will not forgive you!"_

_Her face held a sad almost grieving expression. It appeared to be begging him to stop, to move no more. To leave her to her fate and cling to his own life. "Eventually you will die...so lay there and live as long as you will." She said to him, her voice almost breaking down. Tears had appeared in her eyes by now and were close to falling down her face._

_As Ichigo took in her words he could feel his world crashing down around him. Rukia was allowing herself to be taken, just so he could have a chance to live, no matter how small it may be._

_Ichigo vaguely took notice of the figures around him speaking to one another. His eyes he kept locked firmly on Rukia's back. Eventually he noticed a pair of doors appear in mid air and as they opened a bright white light came out of it almost forcing him to close his eyes. He barely took notice of the two Shinigami stepping through and finally, Rukia too. As the doors closed behind her she took one last look at him before dissapearing from view completely._

=0=

When Ichigo regained consciousness the next morning he felt relieved for some reason. Thinking back on the previous nights he finally understood why. He understood why he felt relieved, he was glad the 'visions' were over, for now. He decided they were extremely uncomfortable and to have three appear one after the other had been rather tiring.

But not only that. He understood why Rukia had asked him to forgive him. But not before he knew everything she had told him. She hadn't yet told him everything Ichigo realised. But he now knew of how it started and how it ended. He could remember it clearly, he could remember everything that had happened in between the three visions. As well as the vast majority of the hours before the first 'vision'.

Above all though he understood why Rukia had asked for his forgiveness. To a stranger's eyes it would've looked like Rukia had betrayed him. Forfeiting his life so that she could be punished for her actions and resume her life in Soul Society.

But that wasn't the case at all. Rukia had realised that Ichigo would've died had she not interfered. He was too stubborn for his own good and had refused to back down time and time again. This time however, he was clearly outclassed.

And so she made it look as if she had seen the light and asked them to refrain from landing the finishing blow as he would die within the hour anyway. She knew there was a chance no matter how small that he would survive, she had known. Next she basically ordered him not to follow her, not to come after her. Not because she would hurt him, not because he would die, but because she wouldn't forgive him if he did.

It was, in a way, genius. It would've been the best way to keep anyone away. But Ichigo realised his former self would not have backed off. He would've gone after her no matter what. Because she was Rukia.

He thought he understood, finally. Just how important a person she had been in his life. He understood why his forgiveness seemed to mean so much to her. For despite their relatively short time together they had certainly bonded with one another.

Deciding to get out of bed Ichigo kicked the sheets off of his body but got confused when his foot hit something much more...solid. He heard a thud that much resembled something falling on the floor as well as weight being removed from his body. No sooner then the weight had dissapeared a loud groaning sound resounded from next to his bed.

Becoming confused he peered over the edge of his bed and the sight that greeted him caused him to burst out in laughter instantly. Nel was lying with her face planted into the ground her legs somehow still resting on the top of his bed.

Turning her head around she turned to look at him with both a sleepy and pained expression. She soon realized what must have happened and her sleepy demeanor dissapeared instantly and was replaced by one of outright anger. Ichigo gulped.

"Kurosaki Ichigo!" She yelled, while standing up. "You idiot, did you just kick me out of your bed?! If you wanted me gone you could've just said so you insensitive prat!" She roared at him furiously.

"I-I-I didn't meant to!" Ichigo stammered, hands held in front of his body, willing them to protect him from this dangerous woman's wrath.

Nel meanwhile, was closing in on him with hands balled into fists. "Honestly, Nel! I didn't mean to! I just woke up and I tried to get out of bed so I kicked away my sheets but...you...were...there..." He finished slowly, letting the words sink in.

His last words caused Nel's anger to dissipate and it was replaced by something skin to embarrassment. She turned her head slightly to the right so as not to have to look him into the eyes.

"N-Nel," Ichigo stammered out. "Just what were you doing into my bed exactly?" He asked carefully.

Nel's face appeared to redden at the question. She honestly hadn't intended to fall asleep with him, she just wanted to be there when he woke up.

"I-I didn't mean to, either." She slowly started. "I was just watching out for you. You'd passed out again like last time and I got cold so decided to lay down next to you for a bit," she stated, obviously embarrassed. "And well, it seems I fell asleep."

Ichigo chuckled at this and as he was about to tell her it was okay when a knock resounded at the door. Frowning he made his way over to the door and opened it.

The person that stood on the other side of the door was none other then Szayel Aporro Granz, the _Octava_ Espada.

"I believe I have something for you, to repay your little...favor."

=0=

_And we're done again. Man I had some trouble writing this chapter but in the end I am quite happy with the way it turned out. I just realised the average chapter has been starting to get a bit longer ever since I started writing this story. I do hope to keep it around this length per chapter though!_

_Now I'd very much like to hear your opinion concerning several things written in this story. First of all, the confrontation and resulting battle with Nnoitra. On a side note I do realise I 'borrowed' a large part of the dialogue at the end from the flashback in the past of Nnoitra and Nelliel._

_Next I am curious to know what you all think of an Arrancar using Kidou. I have read some responses concerning that already but I am curious to find out more as Arrancar originally have obviously never been seen using Kidou. Yet since they are a Hollow/Shinigami hybrid it isn't all that odd to think they could use it given that they are properly instructed in it's use._

_Lastly I ask you to let me know what you thought of the three consecutive flashbacks. These were obviously kept close to the cannon dialogues and situations as those haven't changed but I am still curious to know if you believe to be at all accurate._

_Thanks again for reading yet another chapter and please review to let me know what you thought of it and feel to leave any sort of constructive criticism if you believe something things should or could be improved._


	9. A Conspiracy Unraveled

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach!

**yonda: **Ofcourse, Aizen's final goal hasn't changed. However if he will choose to achieve it by creating another key or possibly by other means will be for you to find out and for me know.

**Getsuga Tensou: **There's no such thing as a review that sucks (Well except perhaps those that critisize without being constructive about it). Any words of praise or encouragement are more then welcome! So thank you!

**hellzanetruesdale: **I have no answer to that question as of yet I'm afraid. They will inevitably run into eachother eventually but wether that will turn into a confrontation remains to be seen.

**X009:** As for the Kidou thing. Yes I agree, Raikouhou is pretty much useless for an Arrancar however you should keep in mind that they will inevitably have to learn the lower level (Well maybe considering a lvl 63 spell isn't exactly lower but you get the point) to arrive at the higher ones featuring for example Danku, Kurohitsugi, Kin and Bankin.

Now regarding the Vaizards. Yes they will show up at one point or another but for now they will remain in the shadows and I believe they will continue doing so for quite a while to come.

Other then that I can guarantee that, atleast for now, Ichigo will be the only Arrancar to learn Kidou. The reason for this being that Aizen has and to an extent, still is, molding Ichigo into his perfect soldier. Plus the fact that Aizen believed Ichigo would do well in it because he had a remarkable good control of his reiatsu.

**DarkJason:** Once again yes. The Vaizards will be revealed in the story, eventually. But they will remain the shadows for quite a while to come.

As for Inoue. I'm not sure yet but right now I am leaning to eventually having her captured yes.

**RyumaOmega: **Well, seeing as it'll all be revealed in this chapter. You pretty much figured out the reason why I ended up writing Szayel owe Ichigo a favor. Nonetheless even knowing that you'll be up for a surprise or two concerning him.

**Chapter 8: A Conspiracy Unraveled.**

The person that stood on the other side of the door was none other then Szayel Aporro Granz, the _Octava_ Espada.

"I believe I have something for you, to repay your little...favor."

Ichigo in turn was quite surprised by this. He'd encountered Szayel just a day earlier and already said Arrancar had found a way to repay his debt? The truth was that he honestly believed it would be some kind of small favor that didn't even compare to what Ichigo had done for the Espada.

Nonetheless he motioned for him to come inside. As Szayel sat down on the large sofa, Nel entered the room and when she noticed the pink-haired Arrancar sitting on the couch she looked at him oddly.

"Szayel?" She asked in a somewhat sleepy voice. Ichigo was amazed at how fast she could apparently switch between modes. She'd gone from angry to embarrassed and back to sleepy again in less then two minutes.

"Nelliel? What a _coincidence_ to find you here as well." Szayel said suggestively. "It just so happens I have come to speak with Ichigo about something...important. Though it does sort of concern you so perhaps you should listen to what I have to say as well."

At this Ichigo's expression darkened. "Why does it concern her?" He asked, obviously not trusting the Espada one bit.

Szayel for his part merely chuckled. "Don't worry, I have no ill intentions towards her. Though you did take away an opportunity for me to test a new device I've been working on."

Ichigo sighed. He'd have to sit down for this. So when Ichigo sat down, Nel instantly joined him and lay down on the sofa, resting her head on his lap. The truth was the both of them had gotten into the habit of it. Ichigo would sit down and Nel would lie down, her head resting on his lap. Admittedly Ichigo had complained about it at first but after a while he'd begun to find it strangely comfortable.

Right now however Ichigo wasn't so sure if it was a good idea. He never did show much emotion in public. Atleast, not compared to what he showed in private with Nel and even her _Fracción_ around. Not that he was anything like Ulquiorra of whom one could truly say he didn't even _have_ any emotion to begin with.

Nel however didn't seem too concerned with it. At first she'd laid her head facing towards Szayel studying him for a short while. But seeing as no one attempted to get any conversation started just yet she proceeded to bury her nose in Ichigo's stomach.

Looking over at Szayel, Ichigo noticed the man was smirking. Now that was something he didn't like. But he would show no outward sign of emotion. It was better if said person believed Ichigo didn't care that Szayel saw him like this.

"Out with it, Szayel." Ichigo all but commanded.

"My, my, so rude." Szayel commented, getting on Ichigo's nerves even further. "But alright. Seeing the two of you here together so...comfortable makes me quite certain this will be enough to repay my debt to you."

Ichigo quirked up his eyebrows at this. Which Szayel took as a sign to continue with his explanation.

"Yesterday evening I got a visit. From Nnoitra Jiruga." Szayel started. "He pretty much threatened me into cooperating with him on a certain matter. I didn't like the way he asked but I did like the opportunity he gave me to test out the new device I spoke about earlier. He demanded to know if I had anything that could create an opening on an enemy. He wouldn't say who it was untill I had agreed but I think we all know who he intends to use this on."

Ichigo knew ofcourse who he planned to create an opening on. It was Nel and it appeared as if Ichigo had just gotten the perfect opportunity to get rid of Nnoitra. The only problem was that he wasn't sure if he could trust Szayel.

Nel who had appeared to be sleeping just a minute earlier was wide awake now, although her head was still lying on Ichigo's lap it was now facing Szayel and she was paying close attention. Nel never liked Nnoitra, the words she had spoken to him after she defeated him for the third time in a row were true. It was exactly how she thought of him. Nonetheless she knew that if Ichigo were to work together with Szayel on this Nnoitra would without a doubt be killed by him. She didn't want Ichigo to stain his hands for her sake. Because that is what it was, he probably wasn't even aware of it himself, but she knew, she knew the only reason he hated Nnoitra as much as he did was because he bothered her.

"First things first Szayel. Can I trust you?" Ichigo asked warily.

Szayel only chuckled at the question. "Normally, no you couldn't. But since you _are_ right about the fact that I owe I suppose you can, on this subject atleast. I wish to get rid of our little debt and you wish to make sure Nnoitra is no longer a threat to you, or perhaps to Nelliel who is too kindhearted to finish him off." He told them adding a suggestive wink.

"Very well. I suppose that's as good as I'm going to get. Now let's get this over with then." Ichigo said.

Together they spent rougly forty-five minutes going over the details of what would happen tomorrow. The truth is they didn't need a plan. Szayel would do all the work. And so when he had told them everything he intended to tell Nnoitra he would help him.

=0=

"Ichigo," It was Nel's voice, he was pretty sure what this was going to be about. He turned around to look at her and found that she was looking at him with a sad expression in her eyes.

"Do not stain your hands with blood for my sake, Ichi," She said softly as she moved closer. "Do not become an animal such as he by lashing out at all that threatens you. Do not fight for the sake of killing or I guarantee you Ichigo you will lose yourself along the way." Nel finished softly. She stood right in front of him by now, looking up at his face with a sad expression. She unzipped the collar of his vest, exposing his face and neck. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at him intently. "Please, Ichigo." She whispered into his ear as she buried her nose in the crook of his neck. "If you want to fight, fight for that which matters to you. If you want to kill, kill those deserving of your blade. And if you want to bleed, bleed for those worth bleeding for." She finished softly, her head buried into his neck with silent tears streaming down her face.

Ichigo was shocked. He hadn't thought it would be such a big deal. He had intended to kill Nnoitra as soon as he engaged Nel. He had even gone as far as to look forward to it. But now, as he felt wet tears run down the crook of his neck, he wasn't so sure anymore. He felt a pang of regret and what he thought was guilt. It was a feeling he had never felt before. Always had he been sure of his actions, always had he done what he thought was right. Or had he? No, thinking about it now, he had not always done what was right. He had done what was easy. Never before had he felt this bad. And it was all because of the woman sobbing into his shoulder. He realised though, that he didn't mind, no he didn't mind at all. He'd do anything for her, he was sure of it indeed.

"Nel," He spoke up. Causing her to look up at him with red eyes surrounded by the wetness of recent tears. "You're right, I'm terribly sorry."

Nel's teary eyes widened at this. Ichigo was never one to apologize for his actions. He hadn't done it often and never before with such sincerity as he had now.

"I wanted to kill Nnoitra for you Nel. Not because you couldn't do it yourself but more so because you wouldn't, despite his attitude." Ichigo started. "I realise now that, not once have I asked what you wanted but the truth is that I knew what you wanted all along. I was just too blind to see it."

She smiled a true smile at him. Ichigo thought it looked a bit ironic. A true smile on her red-eyed face. Her tears had hardly dried up yet.

"From now on," He continued. "I will fight for you. Because you are what matters to me. I will kill those who have done wrong and thus deserve to be struck down. And I will bleed for you, because you are worth bleeding for."

After hearing this, Nel's eyes instantly watered up again. It appeared he had finally embraced some of the emotion she knew was in there. He'd slowly started to show more and more over the weeks but right now, he'd certainly had a breakthrough. She smiled at him genuinely.

Ichigo in the meantime was amazed at himself for a change. The amount of emotion he had just displayed was life changing he was sure. But he knew it would be worth it. He had never wanted to hurt Nel. She was his only true friend ever since he died. She would never forsake him he was sure and so he would not forsake her either. He returned her smile in kind.

As Ichigo turned to take a seat in the couch he was stopped by a hand that grabbed his wrist. Turning around he noticed Nel looking at him intently. Before he knew what was going on she had leaned in and given him a soft but lingering kiss on his lips. As she turned to lie down on the couch, he could only stand there, wondering what had just happened.

On second thought though. He should have expected something along those lines. Nel was never one to express her thanks in words. She usually expressed it in the form of a smile, a hug or in this case a kiss. That was all there was to it, right? Ichigo couldn't help but doubt himself on that subject. After a while though he guessed he shouldn't worry about it too much, it wasn't as if he didn't like it.

And so he turned to lie down on the same couch Nel was currently located in. Motioning for her to scoot up she did just that. When he lay down, she looked at him once, their eyes locking and no words needed to be spoken. They understood eachother completely and perfectly. Those were the last thoughts that ran through her head as she lay her head down on Ichigo's chest and sleep claimed her.

=0=

When Ichigo woke next it was to the noise of one Pesche Guatische and Dondochakka Bilstin. Groaning he opened his eyes and found said _Fracción_ were laughing at him hysterically. Curious as to what was so funny he attempted to sit up only to find that his arms and legs were constricted tightly to his side.

Looking up he found that Nel was clinging to him tightly. Her arms wrapped around his waiste, her legs wrapped around his and her head resting on his chest. It seemed as if it was turning into a habit, waking up with her constricting his movements in one way or another.

Carefully disentangling himself from her he stood up at which Pesche and Dondochakka stopped laughing. Ichigo silently walked over to them.

"Does she always sleep through such noise?" He asked silently.

"_Ah!_ Nelliel-sama could sleep straight through a hurricane as long as she had a _comfortable_ place to sleep on!" Pesche shouted suggestively, before bursting out into laughter again.

Shaking his head Ichigo said he was going to take a shower and did just that.

=0=

When Ichigo stepped out of the bathroom, the first thing he noticed was Nel animatedly chatting away with her _Fracción_. He had to admit that Nel had a lot of fun with them and even he could enjoy their good company. Unlike most of the other Espada Nel saw her _Fracción_ as friends more then anything.

Sitting down next to Nel, he sighed contendly before leaning into the armrest of the couch.

"_Ne_, Ichi," Nel's voice rang out. "I was just wondering. I know I've asked before but why won't you take a _Fracción_, come on I know it'd be fun."

Ichigo smirked, he hadn't expected the question to be dropped now but he had expected her to bring it up again at one point or another. "I've been thinking about it actually. There is this one _Numerós _I've run into a couple of times and he seems interesting. Definitely powerful as well, for a _Numerós_ ofcourse. It's not like he compares to any of the Espada though. And well, truth be told I need a training partner. We've got a war on our hand and apart from the training I've had with Aizen I haven't really done much. Hell, I haven't even used my _resurrección_ yet." He explained.

Nel grumbled something. Ichigo could guess what it was. She was probably annoyed at his reasons for wanting a _Fracción_ for despite how much he'd changed over the weeks he was still nowhere near as easygoing and carefree as Nel usually was.

"But Ichi, wouldn't you wa-" Nel started however she was instantly cut off again by Ichigo.

"Nel, I know what you're going to say. I want a training partner. I know I can train with you as well but some variaton never hurts. Besides the truth is that I don't think he could teach me all that much. But he'll definitely be improving from training with me." Ichigo started.

"I'm not planning to treat him as a slave either, you know that was my original argument for not taking a _Fracción_. I won't say he'll be my best friend or anything like that but I'll definitely be interested in knowing more about him." He finished.

At this, Nel smiled. It seems Ichigo didn't just want to train himself. He wanted the soon-to-be_-Fracción_ to increase his chances at living through this war as well.

Nel instantly shot up from the couch and dragged Ichigo towards the door, attempting to exit his leaving quarters in search of this mysterious Arrancar.

"N-Nel-" Ichigo tried to resist.

"Where can we find this Arrancar of yours Ichi? It's about time you got one of your own!" She shouted excited.

Ichigo grumbled something. He should've kept his mouth closed. _'Oh well, no use resisting now. She'd kick my ass if I tried.'_

=0=

A mere fifteen minutes later the pair of them along with Pesche and Dondochakka appeared at the largest training ground in Las Noches. Being the largest it was also the most popular and at this time of the day it was very crowded. _Numerós_ and _Fracción_ of any kind and level could be seen training individually, in pairs or in small groups. Some had released their Zanpakutou and others hadn't.

As Ichigo and Nel made their appearance on the training ground however. Everyone instantly stopped what they were doing. It was funny, how each and every _Numerós _somehow managed to know exactly who the Espada were and which numbers they held.

It was also very unusual for any of the Espada to appear on a public training ground such as this one. The Espada had several smaller training grounds assigned only for them and on occassion their _Fracción_ after all.

When Ichigo started making his way through the crowded training ground looking for the Arrancar that had piqued his interest people instantly moved out of his way. Some of them going as far as to bow or kneel down for him, muttering words of 'Ichigo-sama' or 'Kurosaki-sama' as they bowed their head.

Ichigo could hear the whispers all around him and Nel, who was still by his side. Her _Fracción _had taken to standing at the edge of the training ground, watching the proceedings in silence. It was rather amusing how some of the newer Arrancar would ask who 'these two' were. Only for the older ones to shut them up instantly, explaining to him that even though they didn't often make public appearances, the orange haired man was the _Primera _Espada, Kurosaki Ichigo. The green haired woman in turn was the _Tercera _Espada, Nelliel Tu Oderschvank. The majority of the new Arrancar had paled instantly as they realized they had adressed two _senior_ Espada members with 'these two'.

As Ichigo and Nel reached the far end of the training ground they had seen the majority of Arrancar gathered here already and had not found the one they sought just yet. But Ichigo had known where he was from the very first moment he entered these training grounds and had walked in his direction in a straight line. It appeared that said Arrancar had noticed this as well as he kneeled down onto the ground instantly the moment they got close to him.

"Ichigo-sama, Nelliel-sama," He said, bowing his head in a sign of respect towards the two Espada.

"Rise, Arrancar," Ichigo said calmly. Said Arrancar obeyed instantly. "I have taken an interest in you. You are hardworking and you have potential to become a powerful warrior. Above that you were once fiercely loyal back when you were still a _Fracción._"

The Arrancar meanwhile, appeared lost for words. "M-Me?" He stammered out. It was a widely known fact that Kurosaki Ichigo, the _Primera_ Espada had taken not even a single _Fracción. _It wasn't that unusual for an Espada not to have any. But among the senior members of the Espada more then half of them possessed atleast one.

"Tell me. Why did Barragan discard you so thoughtlessly, _Ggio Vega?"_

Ggio never did like thinking about why his previous master had discarded him. He had found him too weak and thus threw him aside. He told him he could come back once he had found power that was worth guarding his majesty with. And so Ggio had trained, day in, day out he had trained and vowed to become powerful enough to once again be able to reclaim his position. Among _Numerós_ it was a sign of status to be a _Fracción_ to one of the Espada. The higher the number of the Espada the higher the status you gained as a _Numerós_. It was an unspoken rule. And so the chance that was offered to him now was one he would not have imagined even in his wildest dreams. Barragan-sama had not respected his fierce loyalty and had in the end discarded him. Ichigo-sama however had seemingly just complimented him on his loyalty.

"He thought me too weak to be his _Fracción_, Ichigo-sama." Ggio said, trying to hide the bitterness in his voice.

Ichigo however, still seemed to notice as he chuckled at this. "Then Barragan was a fool." He stated, before turning around and walking off.

Ggio was amazed. He knew ofcourse, that Kurosaki Ichigo was the _Primera _Espada. But he had not expected him to so boldly voice his opinion of Barragan-sama. Barragan-sama may have only held the number four but he was extremely powerful and if Ggio was to believe him then no one in Las Noches except Aizen and Barragan suspected Nelliel knew of Ichigo's true power. Regardless, Barragan had stated that this Ichigo could not possibly surpass his own powers.

"Come with me." Ichigo's voice rang out as he walked out in front of Ggio, making his way back inside the fortress of Las Noches.

Ggio ofcourse wasn't one to obey an order like that and so he followed.

=0=

Fifteen minutes later they had arrived back at Ichigo's living quarters and as they entered Ichigo motioned for them all to sit down.

Ggio did so, hesitantly, he wasn't used to being shown any form of hospitality by Barragan.

"Ggio, I'll be frank, as you have most likely guessed by now I have selected you to become my _Fracción_." He started. "However I will not order anyone to become a _Fracción_ of mine. Even more so I will only accept you as one if you truly want to be one yourself. So feel free to think it over for a while." He explained.

Ggio was officially confused. Had Kurosaki Ichigo, the _Primera_ Espada just given Ggio an actual choice? He could choose to follow Ichigo or not, he wasn't even ordered to like he had been with Barragan? It was strange but Ggio was glad, he never did like to be ordered around. The role of servant only suit him well as long as he gained something in return. In the case of becoming a _Fracción_ it meant status and proper training often supervised by their masters.

Barragan had been a harsh Espada though. Never once did he comment anyone on that which was good and whenever he spoke it was often to complain about one thing or another. Ichigo on the other hand seemed friendly, which was quite uncommon in Arrancar generally.

The truth was Ggio wasn't too happy with Barragan. He never had been and after the way he'd been discarded he'd never become happy with him to begin with. Ggio had merely wanted to prove Barragan wrong, that he too could be strong. Ichigo had given him a golden opportunity, and who would he be to turn down an offer made by the _Primera _himself. Besides, it would be the ultimate payback against Barragan and his remaining underlings to become a _Fracción_ of the _Primera_ Espada, Kurosaki Ichigo.

"No." Ggio stated causing Ichigo to frown. "I don't need to think it over, I accept, Ichigo-sama."

=0=

Later that night Ichigo could be found once more in the lower levels of Las Noches, in Rukia's cell. He had just finished his most recent and apparently last of his talks with her.

Which would mean that after he woke up tomorrow his memory would be partially complete again. It was at the very least the part that mattered most to him that he would remember again. His time in the world of the living starting from when he became a Shinigami and ending at when Rukia was taken back to Soul Society. The only other part he truly missed was the part that showed him how he had become a Hollow. He vowed he would find that missing part but regardless he was very grateful to Rukia. She had selflessly helped him rediscover himself and had done more for him then she could ever truly imagine. If there was ever anything at all he could do to repay her then he would. It wouldn't matter what it was, he would do it regardless.

"I forgive you," The words had left his mouth before he got a chance to think about it, but he knew they were true. Rukia had been wallowing in guilt for a long time now. It was about time she found peace with herself. And even though Ichigo knew he couldn't grant her complete peace with her past as by now, he knew everything about her life, starting from when she had entered Soul Society and ending with her being capture by Aizen and taken to Hueco Mundo so that he could extract the Hougyoku from her soul. Thus he also knew of the incident with Shiba Kaien, her Vice-Captain at the time.

Rukia in the meantime was shocked. Her eyes had visibly widened. She had thought he would've forgotten by now that she had begged for him to forgive her after she had explained everything to him. She had however not expected him to actually forgive her. She had hurt him badly and she had done so intentionally. Tears started to slowly leak from her eyes. He had forgiven her! He truly had! She had no way to repay him for the burden he had just lifted off her shoulders. And so she did the next best thing she could think of.

She stood up as fast as she could, nearly falling over again because of the haste in her movement. As soon as she stood on her feet again however she stumbled over to him and threw her arms around his neck mumbling words of thanks into his chest.

Ichigo for his part was surprised as well. Never before had Rukia shown such boldness in her actions. And as far as he could gather she never had done anything as such ever since she had been adopted into the Kuchiki Clan either. This showed him more then anything, how much it had meant to her to be forgiven. Maybe he had already repaid her. But for him, it could never be enough. He would still do anything she desired just to pay off the debt he certainly owed her, no matter her own thoughts on the subject.

"T-Thank you so much, Ichigo." She stammered. "You don't know how much this means to me and you might never find out. Thank you so much. I'm in your debt."

Ichigo could appreciate her words, but not the last part. "No, Rukia." He said, wrapping his arms around her in return. "You're not in my debt. I am in yours. There's no other person, in life or death that could've shown me what you have. It is I, that is in your debt. And I promise you here and now that if there is anything you desire, I will make it happen, at the cost of my own life if I have to." He explained to her. "I may be a Hollow, but next to Nel you are the most important person to me. You were important to me before I died, and you are again now, after my death."

Rukia's eyes softened at this and she couldn't help but chuckle through her sobs. "_Baka,_ that's just like you isn't it? It still amazes me how gradually you are turning much more into the Ichigo I knew. I never thought it was possible for-" And that's where she stopped, realising that it would ruin the moment to say such words. It was incredibly thoughtless of her. She'd let her mouth run away with her, something she'd often done in a past long gone.

"A Hollow," Ichigo finished for her. "Don't worry Rukia, I am a Hollow. You shouldn't be ashamed to say it, it's not like I'll get mad about it or anything. But I do realise it may have been a bit hard for you to get used to."

She smiled at him. "_Ah._ It was, but it doesn't matter. You're much the same person you were already. What I was saying was that I never thought I'd see myself befriend a Hollow much less see a Hollow actually show any kind of emotion other then perhaps anger."

He smiled at her in return. "I have to get back though Rukia. Ggio must be getting impatient, I doubt he's very comfortable currently with Nel and her _Fracción, " _Ichigo and Rukia both grinned at that, "it'll take some time to get him to adjust to his new surroundings and lifestyle."

And so he released her and walked over to the door. But as he was about to pass through it he stopped, a question occurring in his head, one he had been curious about but had never actually asked her after all. "Rukia," He started again, causing her to look up, not realising he was still there. "Why have you never tried to escape from Las Noches? I know for a fact that since you entered Hueco Mundo it didn't take you more then a week or two to fully regain your spiritual powers."

At this question, she looked down towards the ground. "You're right, I have been able to rematerialize my Zanpakutou for quite a while now." She started. "But I have to pay for my sins. So I accepted all the beatings I got and was glad with the disgusting piece of bread I was given daily. And helping you regain your memories was another part of paying off my sins. I'm glad I did it though, not just for paying off part of my sins but because I once again got to know you, and in the end you even forgave me for what I have done to you during your life."

Ichigo had expected an answer like that. But he was sure she wasn't finished yet, so he stayed quiet and waited for her to continue.

"Other then that, there was ofcourse the most obvious of reasons. Las Noches is a fortress is it not?" She asked him rhetorically. "I do not know my way around here and while I can probably beat the standard _Numerós_ level Arrancar, I know I don't stand a chance against the Espada that you spoke of. And that is without taking into account that I do not even know my way around this place."

Ichigo looked towards his feet. He knew of a way to repay Rukia, but he wasn't sure how to make it happen. He would have to think of it, for now he needed some information out of her though.

"Tell me Rukia," He started again. "How powerful are you? Have you achieved Bankai or atleast Shikai?"

This question startled her. He knew about Shinigami Zanpakutou's? What more did he know? Was this information ordinarily shared among all of the Arrancar in Las Noches?

Her surprise was visible on her face apparently as Ichigo reassured her worries almost instantly.

"Not to worry. I am one of the only ones that know as much about Shinigami as the Shinigami themselves. Most of the information Aizen-sama has shared with me, he hasn't even told the rest of the Espada."

Rukia could feel relief flood her system at this. But, wait? The rest of the Espada? Ichigo was an Espada? And he had been one all this time without her even knowing or him telling?

"Y-You are an _Espada,_ Ichigo?" She asked, dumbfounded.

Ichigo frowned at this. Had he never told her before? Thinking about it, no he didn't think he had. He'd just mentioned that he was instantly turned into an Arrancar after becoming a Vasto Lorde and he had told her a lot about the Espada but he hadn't actually told her he was a part of it. God, he could be so stupid sometimes.

"Eh, I just realized I never actually told you. Yes, Rukia, I am part of the Espada, and so is Nel." He started. "But you haven't yet answered my question."

"R-Right," She had forgotten about his question. "I have attained Shikai a long time ago and am past the point of materializing my Zanpakutou spirit," She said before halting, awaiting his reaction. He showed no visible sign of confusion or surprise so she assumed he was aware of even how to achieve the two different released states of their Zanpakutou. "I have started to the task my Zanpakutou has given me in order to attain Bankai but only just. I haven't gotten far with it yet."

Ichigo sighed at this. He'd hoped she'd have had Bankai, it would've made things a lot easier. But then again he shouldn't have expected it. Aizen had told him that only barely one out of seventy-five Shinigami would ever in their lifetime, achieve Bankai. That and Rukia had said she expected not to stand a chance against the Espada, she wouldn't have said that had she achieved the pinnacle that was a Shinigami's strength, the pinnacle that was Bankai.

"I see. Regardless, I will be back with you in a day or two Rukia. I am sorry but I expect some trouble tomorrow atleast. Remember the offer I made you, it goes for absolutely anything." Those were the last words Ichigo said before he left to make his way back to his own quarters and save Ggio from the obvious embarrassment that was Nelliel and her _Fracción._

=0=

As Ichigo entered his living room the next morning he was instantly greeted by a kneeling Ggio Vega.

"Ichigo-sama!" The Arrancar said as he bowed his head. Truth be told, the whole 'Ichigo-sama', Ichigo could understand, in the end it was a fact that Ggio was his underling, but to go as far as to kneel everytime he was greeted, that wouldn't do, it annoyed him.

"Ggio," Ichigo started. "I appreciate the gesture but there is no need to kneel before me. A standard wave as a greeting will do just fine."

Ggio's eyes widened at this. When he was the underling of Barragan-sama he _had_ to kneel down and bow as a manner of greeting. He was uncomfortable with the idea of merely waving at the strongest Arrancar in all of Las Noches but he had to admit he didn't particularly dislike the idea.

_"H-hai_, Ichig-sama." Ggio said.

"Ggio, you are aware of what is going to be happening today?" He asked the Arrancar.

Ggio nodded instantly at his question. Nel had informed him of today's events just yesterday. He had hoped he could witness the event but fate didn't seem to be on his side today. Nel had told him that Ichigo wouldn't be there either. Both her and Szayel thought it better. Nnoitra might not even approach her with Ichigo at her side. But he had been hoping to see Nelliel who was supposed to be more powerful then his previous master Barragan in action. He was sort of dissapointed he was now going to miss that opportunity.

"Alright, it is up to you if you wish to follow me today and witness the battle between Nel and Nnoitra," Ichigo started, "However I advise you to stay out of the way of a fight between two Espada."

Ggio was confused at this. Nelliel had informed him that both Szayel and her thought it better if he stayed well away from her today. His confusion obviously showed on his face as Ichigo smiled.

"Nelliel is important to me Ggio," He started. "I don't trust Szayel and I need to know if everything goes according to plan. If it does, no one will know you and I were ever there, that is assuming you can properly hide your reiatsu. If you can't, I can't take you with me."

Luckily for Ggio he was quite proficient in that aspect. He would definitely come along, he wouldn't miss this for the world but nonetheless Ggio decided to heed his master's advise. He had seen friendly spars between Espada that looked like the most fierce battles he had seen among _Numerós_. He couldn't possibly imagine what a real battle between Espada would look like.

Ggio thought the plan had been pretty ingenius. Nnoitra had asked for Szayel's help in 'exiling' Nelliel from Las Noches it appeared. Szayel would give him a device that would inevitably create an opening for Nnoitra. He had not however told Nnoitra that the device he had given was one of the failed prototypes in the early stages of his experiment.

Apparently Ichigo thought otherwise though. Or perhaps not exactly. The plan was pretty solid, the only problem was as Ichigo according to Ichigo that he didn't trust Szayel.

Ggio had to admit though he had been quite honored that the _Tercera_ had immediately shared their plan with him. He would in no way betray their trust, he would prove his worth no matter what it took.

=0=

Nelliel was silently meditating out in one of the open plains of Las Noches. She had ordered her _Fracción_ to stay away from her today and thus told them to stay in their quarters. They had reluctantly agreed when Nelliel brought up the argument that Ichigo would still be with her when everything went down. What they hadn't known though, was that that had been a lie. Both Szayel and her had thought it better if he weren't around. Nnoitra would be hesitant to seek her out with him around her all the time.

So, right now she was waiting on Nnoitra to make his move. Meditating just to pass the time. She had to admit, she wanted Nnoitra out of the Espada as bad as Ichigo did. She did not however want him to die without good reason and this she had made perfectly clear to Ichigo the other day. Perhaps a bit too clear she reasoned but they had understood eachother in the end and had only grown closer because of it.

Ichigo had quickly informed her of what had went down when he had gone to see Rukia last night and she was glad. He had regained the most important parts of his memory and according to Rukia he was more like his former self then he had ever been before. Ichigo however had subtly informed her of the favor he owed her and she had a pretty good idea about what he was going to do for her. She did not however have any idea as to how he was going to make it happen and if his moody attitude last night was any indication she didn't think he had either.

"Yo," An all too familiar voice rang out. Looking up Nel found Nnoitra standing before her, just as she had thought, he had interupted her from her thoughts far sooner then she had thought he would though. Nonetheless, it didn't matter.

"What is it you want, _Nnoitra?"_ She asked him.

"Tch. Isn't it obvious, _Nelliel?_ Fight me! And finish our battle this time, don't walk away like a coward again!" He started calmly but was all but shouting at the end.

"I told you before. I have no reason to fight you, you're nothing but an ani-" She was cut off as Nnoitra threw his weapon at her and she just barely managed to get up and step to the side.

"Your _Fracción _weren't so hesitant to fight me when I told them I was on my way to kill you, _Nelliel."_ Noittra stated, smirking.

Nel froze at this. Her _Fracción_ were safe in her quarters weren't they? She had made sure of that. Nnoitra couldn't have known. He couldn't have known unless...had Szayel double-crossed them? Had he been in league with Nnoitra from the start, not caring to repay the favor he owed Ichigo at all?

"What did you do to them?!" She yelled at him, a feeling of uncertainty overtaking her.

"Nothing much, why don't you take me out quickly and go find out? Who knows, you might just be fast enough to save them." Nnoitra taunted her.

At this Nelliel drawed her sword and dissapeared in a buzz of s_onido _reappearing on his left side and thrusting her sword in the direction of his side. Nnoitra however made no move to defend himself against it and Nelliel wasn't sure how she should feel about this, she just wanted to make sure Pesche and Dondochakka were okay.

As her sword reached Nnoitra however, he dissapeared in a cloud of dust and a feeling of dread came over Nelliel. An opening. She could just make out the sound of a weapon slicing through the air behind her and she knew it was over. Szayel had played them like a fool.

When no pain came she slowly opened her eyes again and turned around. As she did this she found the figure of Ichigo standing right before her, his hand stopping Nnoitra's huge cleaver, keeping it from reaching her. His other hand in the pocket of his Arrancar uniform.

He turned his head for a brief second and smirked at her, before turning back to Nnoitra and sending him flying with a kick straight to the chest.

"Tch. I knew Szayel couldn't be trusted." He stated, matter-of-factly.

=0=

Meanwhile, Ggio Vega was watchin the events proceed from the roof of a nearby tower of Las Noches. Ggio and Ichigo had been unable to hear anything from the moment Nnoitra encountered Nelliel as they wanted to remain undetected.

As soon as Ichigo had seen Nnoitra dissolve in a cloud of dust when Nelliel stabbed him, his master dissapeared. Ggio had barely been able to catch a glimpse of him before he was already standing in between the two Espada. Stopping Nnoitra's cleaver from hitting Nelliel with his bare hand. Ggio for one knew that Nnoitra had the toughest _Hierro _among the Espada. But Ggio was definitely starting to doubt that theory, it took an amazingly strong _Hierro_ to stop a swing of a weapon like that without so much as flinching let alone without receiving any sort of injury.

Another thing that was noticeable about his master was his speed. Never before had Ggio seen someone move so fast. Ggio hadn't even heard a buzz signifying he'd used _sonido_ so he was left to assume that the speed he had just displayed was actually his natural speed. Already, Ggio started to doubt Barragan's words more and more. He could hardly imagine a man such as Ichigo had gained his rank for any other reason then his power.

When he looked back towards the ground he saw Nnoitra lying in a heap as if he'd been knocked backwards. Ichigo was slowly walking towards him.

=0=

As Ichigo started walking towards Nnoitra he was actually considering to kill the man once more. It was hard to supress the urge and it only kept getting harder. But he couldn't outright kill him, he'd promised and so he wouldn't.

He was quickly brought out of his thoughts by the sound of an iron chain. Looking up he could see Nnoitra's weapon speeding towards him. Ducking he let the large weapon pass over his head before stepping to the side and grabbing the chain. Yanking on it he instantly sent the weapon speeding back towards Nnoitra who jumped over it to avoid being wounded by his own weapon. As he landed however a buzz of _sonido _sounded behind him and he could hear someone whisper in his ear.

"Let me let you in on a little secret, _Nnoitra,"_ Quickly turning around and swinging his weapon at the spot where he supposed Ichigo should be standing he found there was no one there.

_"Bakudou #61 - Rikujyoukourou,"_ A voice Nnoitra knew all too well spoke up behind him. Nnoitra however had no idea what it was Ichigo had just said and cried out in pain as six rods of light slammed itself shut in his waist, obstructing his movement in every possible way.

"It's over, Nnoitra." He could hear Ichigo call out. No more but a second later he could feel a blinding pain originating from his back and his world went black.

=0=

Aizen was sitting in his throne room, hearing Ulquiorra's latest report concerning Hueco Mundo. It was a positive one at that as well. Ulquiorra had found two more Adjuchas with some interesting abilities that could prove usefull. He would even go as far as to say they could become potential members of the Espada.

Looking over the other occupants of the room Aizen noticed he had quite the crowd today. First of all there were Gin and Kaname at his right and left respectively.

What was surprising was that there were actually a rare amount of Espada present in the throne room. They seemed to merely be lounging about but nonetheless it was quite the rare sight.

It was on the table in the corner of the throne room that they were all seated, some chatting about some seemingly interesting subjects. Others dozing off and surprising there was one that almost seemed nervous.

The Espada in question were Starrk who was rather close to falling asleep with his head on the table, Aizen guessed. Barragan, who appeared as grumpy as ever and wasn't really speaking to anyone either, he was ofcourse, sitting in his makeshift throne. Then there was Szayel Aporro who appeared to be nervous for reasons Aizen couldn't fathom. Szayel Aporro was hardly the type to ever be nervous and Aizen had never seen him in his throne room before, he was always stuck in his lab doing one experiment after the other. Some at the request of Aizen and others of his own accord. The last two members seated at the table were Yammy and Grimmjow who seemed to be having quite the time. Whatever it was they were discussing, Aizen was sure it contained plenty of violence and bloodlust.

Aizen was broken out of his thoughts however by a loud bang and as he looked up the doors to his throne room were blasted of it's hinge. This would prove interesting, was what Aizen thought as he looked at his door lying somewhere halfway his throne room.

Tousen instantly shot up and put his hand on the hilt of his Zanpakutou as he looked at the intruder. Ichimaru merely seemed amused.

Looking towards his Espada Aizen saw each of them had stood up except for Barragan and Starrk. They were all watching what was happening carefully. Szayel however seemed even more nervous then before.

As Aizen turned his gaze back at whoever had blown away his doors his eyes actually widened. Kurosaki Ichigo was walking towards Aizen's throne, a seemingly unconscious body on his shoulders with Nelliel Tu Oderschvank and Ggio Vega both at his side. A furious expression was etched in the very features of his face.

"Ichigo, would you care to explain why you found it necessary to blast off the doors to my throne room?" Aizen calmly asked the Espada. Ichigo meant a lot to Aizen, he was his most powerful weapon and had even gone as far as to change his plans concerning Soul Society so that he could obtain and mold Ichigo into the perfect weapon. It had certainly worked for he was powerful beyond comparison. Now however, Aizen had to admit he felt a slight pang of worry, if Ichigo had betrayed him, all that would have been for nothing.

Meanwhile, Ichigo ignored Aizen's question and shoved Nnoitra's body unceremoniously over the ground towards Aizen. He then turned on his heels and marched over towards the table where the Espada were seated just a moment ago.

Looking at Szayel, Ichigo could tell said man was actually afraid. He knew that he was in trouble and yet Ichigo couldn't help but wonder. How stupid exactly was Szayel? Did he truly believe Nnoitra could've beaten both Nelliel and Ichigo himself with merely the help of a little device. The fool, he obviously overestimated his pathetic inventions.

Reaching the pink haired Arrancar he grabbed him by the collar and turned around again. Dragging him with him back towards the throne. As he reached it he threw Szayel on the floor next to the prone body of Nnoitra.

Ichigo then kneeled and quickly indicated at Ggio he should do the same. He bowed his head at Aizen and started speaking.

"Aizen-sama," Ichigo spoke respectfully. "I have brought these two Espada before you for they have collaborated together to take the life of the _Tercera_ Espada and I suspect they intended to take down myself, the _Primera_ Espada as well." Ichigo explained.

Aizen raised his eyebrows at this. Now this isn't what he expected. But it appeared that Ichigo had remained loyal to Aizen after all. He had merely been overtaken by anger after another attempt on Nelliel's life. Aizen was actually surprised it hadn't succeeded, with a genius such as Szayel and his inventions working together with a powerhouse like Nnoitra.

Raising his reiatsu and with it pressing Szayel flat to the ground he locked eyes with the pink haired man. "Szayel, is this true?" He asked calmly.

Szayel closed his eyes at this. He knew there was no way he could talk himself out of it. And he it's not like he would gain anything from explaining it to Ichigo and Nelliel. So he yielded himself to his fate and could only hope he would live to see another day.

"_Ah._ Aizen-sama. It is true." Szayel said resigned.

Aizen closed his eyes at this for a moment. To outsiders it seemed like he was thinking as to what he should do with these two. On the inside however, he already decided the moment Ichigo told him what had happened. He knew Ichigo wouldn't lie to him, not to Aizen. For it was Aizen that had granted him the power he had sought.

"Ichigo," Aizen started. "Wake Nnoitra please."

Ichigo smirked at the order. Aizen could be quite the generous one at times. And so Ichigo walked over to Nnoitra's prone form and instantly kicked him in the stomach causing him to roll over onto his back and start coughing vehemently.

As Nnoitra's coughing subsided he instantly shot up started cursing loudly, not realising where he was. When he took in his surroundings however, he paled. Looking up, he locked eyes with Aizen who smiled at him.

"Nnoitra," Aizen spoke. "You are charged with the attempted murder of two fellow Espada, how do you pleed?"

Nnoitra's eyes narrowed at this. "Tch. Who gives a shit." He said.

Aizen seemed to smile even wider at this, if that was at all possible. "If that's all you have to say for your self." Aizen started. "Very well."

"Szayel Aporro Granz, you are hereby removed from the Espada untill further notice. Your actions have shown a complete lack of respect for your fellow Espada. I never asked you to be friends, I did however ask you to work together as comrades. As long as you are unable to do this you will never become a part of the Espada again." Aizen words rang out throughout the throne room.

Szayel's eyes closed briefly but he quickly nodded his understanding. He appeared to be relieved, which wasn't odd considering the fact that he could just as well have been scheduled for execution a couple of days from now.

"Nnoitra Jiruga, you-" But that is as far as Aizen got.

"Aizen-sama, excuse me my rudeness, but if I may?" Ichigo interupted him, however still remained respectful in his question and adressing of Aizen.

Aizen nodded briefly at Ichigo, curious as to why he would have interupted him.

"Nnoitra's attempted killing of myself and Nelliel is without a doubt a grievous crime," Ichigo started. "However I would prefer to discard the image of weakness the majority of the people gathered here seem to hold over me by fighting Nnoitra in a battle. If I lose I will willingly give up my rank to Nnoitra, however if he loses he will lose his rank and if you so desire he will be executed." Ichigo stated.

Aizen looked thoughtful at this for a moment. Before he turned to look at Nnoitra.

"Nnoitra Jiruga," He started. "My original idea was to have you executed as you have been warned before. Seemingly you have ignored my warning and thus your punishment would've been death. Do you want to save yourself the humiliation of getting annihilated in battle by Ichigo by accepting your execution. Or, do you accept Ichigo's offer for a battle between the two of you." Aizen asked him.

Nnoitra didn't hesitate for a second before answering. "Tch. I'll fight the brat. He just took me by surprise the last time we fought. I'll show him and take his position as _Primera_ for myself after I beat him." Nnoitra shouted at no one in particular, obviously looking forward to fighting Ichigo.

Aizen closed his eyes briefly before opening them again and looking at both Ichigo and Nnoitra. "Very well. We shall meet a mile outside out of the northern walls of Las Noches in thirty minutes time, so as to allow both Espada to fight at their full potential. Any Arrancar willing to spectate is welcome to join us."

=0=

Twenty-five minutes later both fighters were standing on top of a mountain platform a little more then a mile outside of the northen walls of Las Noches.

The rumor of a battle possibly to the death between two Espada had quickly spread throughout Aizen's fortress.

Currently all of the remaining eight Espada including their _Fracción _were standing at a several hundred yard distance from the two combatants. Other then the Espada and their underlings the rumor had spread so fast that several dozen of Arrancar had gathered as well. Standing a bit farther away from the Espada so as to not get caught up in a battle that would undoubtedly be unlike anything they'd ever witnessed before.

Standing among the Espada were Nelliel, Pesche and Dondochakka. Nelliel had been relieved to find that when she had left Aizen's throne room to look for them before Ichigo had to fight his battle they'd already come running towards her. Tears had started to form in her eyes but she'd quickly brushed them off. It appeared as if Nnoitra had been bluffing about that part, or more likely, he'd been trying to get a rise out of her and had succeeded in that aspect.

To Nelliel's right stood Ggio Vega. Ggio was aware of the fact that Nelliel was a person who was important to Ichigo and so he stayed close to her. Not that he would be able to protect her from something she couldn't best on her own but he would still have tried regardless. He was looking forward to seeing Ichigo in action. No one in Las Noches except Aizen and Ggio believed, Nelliel knew of Ichigo's true powers. And now, they would finally be revealed.

Standing on Nelliel's right was Starrk, together wit his _Fracción_ Lillynette. Starrk was curious to find out just how powerful Kurosaki Ichigo truly was. Starrk was among the few people who believed Ichigo was deserving of his position. Aizen wasn't the kind of person who would give the position of his strongest soldier to someone who hadn't earned it. Anyone who would logically think about this would know as much. But today they would all find out.

"_Ne _Starrk," Lillynette's voice rang out next to him. "Who do you think'll win? I know Ichigo's the _Primera_ but everyone keeps saying he got that position because-" And that was as far as she got.

"Lillynette," Starrk started. "You should realise Aizen-sama would not give such a position to someone undeserving of it. I believe the outcome of this battle is obvious. The only question is, will this battle even be enough to show us the extend of Ichigo's powers." Starrk said.

Lillynette, meanwhile was quite surprised. Starrk hardly ever spoke more then a few words at a time. He really was a lazy git. But nonetheless, the two of them were a force to be reckoned with if they got serious. Starrk giving such a serious and elaborate answer to her question told her all she needed to know.

"You are more perceptive then you are given credit for," A high pitched voice on Starrk's right called out. Turning his head around he looked into the face of Nelliel Tu Oderschvank. He merely shrugged at her, indicating he didn't care much what people thought of him.

Just as they were wondering when the show was going to get started three figures appeared amidst the Espada. Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen had finally arrived.

Aizen ofcourse, looked as calm and collected as ever. It was hard to tell wether he was looking forward to this or not. If things got out of hand he might lose a powerfull Arrancar today.

Ichimaru on the other hand, was grinning widely. Then again, a grin was always sported on Ichimaru Gin's face. So one could argue that it was just his natural expression.

Tousen merely looked impassive. It didn't seem as if he had an opinion on the matter at all and if he had he clearly didn't show it. Aizen had decided, maybe that was enough for the former Shinigami.

=0=

Ichigo stood on top of the mountain platform just outside of Las Noches. Nnoitra several yards in front of him, his face grinning widely. It appeared Nnoitra was looking forward to this after all, Ichigo thought, despite the beating he got no more then an hour ago. Perhaps he was nothing more then an animal in the end indeed, Ichigo thought, recalling Nel's words.

"Ya scared yet, _Primera_?" Nnoitra's voice rang out, mocking him by putting emphasis on the last word. As if the title was already his.

Ichigo's face remained impassive and he didn't bother to respond to Nnoitra's words. He was an animal after all, one does not speak with beasts for the only reply you would get is either a bark or a bite.

As Nnoitra opened his mouth to speak once more however he was interupted.

"Sixty seconds," Ichigo stated, causing Nnoitra to frown, "You will release within sixty seconds from the start of the fight, that much I promise."

Nnoitra didn't even get a chance to retord as Ichigo dissapeared and Nnoitra lost sight of him for only a moment. That was all Ichigo needed however. Nnoitra could feel a flash of steel pass in front of his face and a moment later blood spurted from his chest. He cried out in pain and lashed out in front of him only to find that Ichigo wasn't even there.

Quickly turning around he came face to face with a charging Ichigo and they instantly locked blades. Each trying to overpower the other. Ichigo had to admit though. Nnoitra wasn't weak, his strength at the very least was commendable. But Nelliel had told him many times before that his general strength, while certainly high was not as high as it could be.

He doubt he could beat Nnoitra in a battle of strenght alone and so he did the next best thing. He removed his left hand from his pocket and pointed his index and middlefinger at Nnoitra who's eyes visibly widened at this. He instantly pushed Ichigo back several yards and backed off but not before Ichigo's _Cero_ fired and came at him from a dangerously close distance. Nnoitra, having no chance to dodge the attack chose the next best thing and put his giant cleaver in front of his body. Shielding himself from the attack as best as possible.

_20 seconds._

Ichigo meanwhile, was merely staring at the cloud of dust that had risen up and obstructed Nnoitra from view. He could still sense the Espada though and he knew that, while he was hit, he had blocked the majority of the attack.

Ichigo was brought out of his musings by the sound of a chain ringing, signifying Nnoitra must have switched to attack while he still had the element of surprise. As if on cue Nnoitra's weapon came flying out of the smoke. Ichigo merely ducked under it letting it pass over him once again. He Grabbed the chain once moreand this time pulled the other end towards him, remembering how Nnoitra had the chain tied around his waiste.

When Nnoitra came flying out of the smoke however Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw a _Cero _was charging on the tip of his tongue. Realizing he didn't have enough time to dodge he quickly ran out of options as the _Cero _was released and rapidly approached his position.

When the _Cero _reached it's destination and caused a large explosion Nnoitra cackled maniacally obviously satisfied with his victory. As he turned around to walk away however, he came face to face with a _smirking_ Kurosaki Ichigo who instantly impaled his chest which caused Nnoitra to cry out in agony.

Ichigo pulled his sword back out of Nnoitra's body causing the latter to grit his teeth in pain, not wanting to show any more weakness. Nnoitra at the same time was surprised to find that Ichigo was completely uninjured. Seeing the expression of disbelief on Nnoitra's face Ichigo decided to elaborate.

"You pride yourself in having thickest _Hierro_ out of all of the Espada." Ichigo started. "I beg to differ. I know mine is thicker then yours, that, and I added a layer of reiatsu to cover my entire body which took the majority of the impact for me. The rest of the impact was obviously absorbed by my _Hierro._"

As Ichigo turned to look at Nnoitra and took in his appearance he shook his head. Nnoitra had blood flowing like water out of his chest from the two wounds caused by Ichigo. There was no way he was going to survive another hit if he didn't release soon.

"You don't stand a chance against me Nnoitra. Give up, before you get hurt." Ichigo taunted, intending to enrage Nnoitra so as to release his Zanpakutou.

And it worked. Nnoitra roared in anger realising just what he had gotten himself into. Yellow reiatsu started to form around his body and Zanpakutou and started to leak out into the open air.

Ichigo could feel Nnoitra's power increasing and had to admit it wasn't all bad. Not that he was getting anywhere close to Ichigo's own level, no, not just yet Nnoitra.

When Nnoitra locked eyes with Ichigo next he smirked as he raised his Zanpakutou high above his head with one hand.

_45 seconds._

_"Inore, Santa Teresa!" _Nnoitra yelled out for all to hear. As soon as the words had left his mouth cracks started to form around the mountain platform and sand was blown away in all directions at a violent speed, thus obstructing both fighers from view.

=0=

Back among the ever growing crowd of spectating Arrancar loud murmurs were heard throughout the crowd. Nelliel heard several Arrancar claim this to be a battle among titans. They didn't even know half of it yet, Nelliel thought.

Several of the Espada however, Nelliel noticed were quietly talking to one another. It had been obvious how surprised they were when Ichigo had gotten Nnoitra to release without receiving a single injury on his end. The only ones who hadn't been surprised had been Starrk, Ulquiorra and surprisingly Barragan. Nelliel guessed that Barragan had known all along that Kurosaki Ichigo was more then powerful enough to claim the spot of _Primera _Espada, he just didn't like to admit it.

But even Nelliel had to admit she was curious as to how the battle would proceed now that Nnoitra had released. Would Ichigo be forced to finally reveal his _resurrección_? It would be quite ironic, none of them had seen it before. Not even Ichigo himself. The latter for reasons she could not possibly fathom. He'd have to get used to fighting in his released form eventually, that is what she kept reminding him of as well. But he said he couldn't be bothered to travel all across Hueco Mundo to find a safe spot to practise with it. Told her he knew several things about it without ever having released it anyway. She was curious as to how he found out, but Ichigo could be quite the mystery man when he wanted to be.

Turning to look back at the platform she saw the dust had almost cleared and the attention of all spectators was once again turned towards it.

=0=

Ichigo meanwhile was getting excited and it was showing. A wide grin was etched in the very features of his face. It had been a long time ago since he had fought properly. As a matter of fact he hadn't had a proper battle ever since he had been an Adjuchas. He was looking forward to it, he hoped Nnoitra would push him far enough so that he would be forced to release his own Zanpakutou as well. Ichigo could barely contain his excitement, oh how he loved battle.

As the dust cleared the sight that greeted Ichigo however was quite disturbing. In front of him stood Nnoitra, his injures healed with four bone-covered arms sticking out of his body. Each holding a large scythe-like weapon. He had two large horns on his head, the left larger then the right and together they seemed to form a crescent-moon shape. Another change was the golden marking that extended from his forehead all the way down towards below his right eye and his Hollow mask which Ichigo had seen only once before, had become torn and the teeth extended all over the hole in his left eye socket.

Nnoitra smirked at Ichigo and he in turn smirked right back at him.

"I hate to say I told you so," Ichigo started, rather amused. "But, I told you so." He stated, leaving the comment hanging in the air for just a second.

"Forty-five seconds."

At this Nnoitra's grin dissapeared and was replaced by an expression of anger as his ultimate form his _resurrección _was brushed off so lightly.

Nnoitra instantly charged towards Ichigo who mimicked his action. Nnoitra, raising two out of his four scythes prepared to slam them down on Ichigo.

Ichigo however was prepared. He had known Nnoitra would attack this way. Two scythes used for attack and two used for defense. Despite being more of a berserker Nnoitra knew one couldn't ignore defense. And so Ichigo knew exactly how to counter.

Grabbing the hilt of the scythe being held by Nnoitra's most lower right arm he directed the scythe directly into the path of his two upper arms preparing to crash down at him, essentially blocking the attack with Nnoitra's own weapon. Simultaneously Ichigo blocked the last scythe, which was being held by his lower left arm and seemed to have switched to attacking as soon as Nnoitra noticed his other three arms being locked in place.

Smirking at Nnoitra, Ichigo pointed his index finger of the hand holding his Zanpakutou at Nnoitra and softly whispered, so as not to let any spectators hear.

"_Bakudou #1 - Sai._"

Instantly all four of Nnoitra arms were bound behind his back by a strong force. Ichigo instantly switched to the attack grabbing his Zanpakutou with both hands for a change he sliced off both of Nnoitra's right arms, which were closest to Ichigo, at the shoulder joints before removing one hand from the hilt of his weapon and slashing a deep horizontal cut in Nnoitra's chest.

Causing him to cry out in pain from both the loss of his arms and the cut across his chest.

Just as Ichigo made to cut off the other two arms however they managed to release themselves from the _Bakudou_ spell and made to slash at him vertically. Blocking both of them with his Zanpakutou Ichigo pointed his middle and index finger at Nnoitra's chest once again. A _Cero _could be seen charging on top of his fingers and as Ichigo looked at Nnoitra's face he noticed the smirk planted on his face just in the nick of time.

For instantly four more arms shot out of Nnoitra's body. One on the left side and three on the right side. Replacing the ones he had lost and adding another two on top of it. All four of them holding the same scythe-like weapons. Jumping back one of the weapons grazed Ichigo's cheek. Intending to stop charging his _Cero_ Ichigo noticed Nnoitra charging one of his own just in time and continued adding more reiatsu into his before the both of them released their attacks simultaneously. As the attacks collided, sand obscured both fighters from vision once more.

Slowly the sand cleared once more and revealed the forms of both Ichigo and Nnoitra. Admittedly, Ichigo's clothes were singed and several burn marks were sported on them, but otherwise, he himself appeared unharmed.

Nnoitra on the other hand had a large burn mark formed from his throat all the way untill his waiste. One of his arms was blackened by the explosion and his breathing was ragged. His expression, was one of distaste.

"Nnoitra," Ichigo's voice called out. "Do you realise now, that you stand no chance against me? You are well aware of the fact that I have not even used my _resurrección _yet."

Nnoitra for his part remained silent. He had a bitter looking expression on his face. "I...I...I..." Nnoitra stammered out, his breathing labored but he continued nonetheless. "I...I...cannot die!" Nnoitra shouted as his expression turned to one of anger. Attempting to regenerate his wounds his breathing became more and more labored by the second, an obvious sign that it was too taxing on what few reiatsu he had left.

Ichigo shook his head. This guy was impossible, didn't he ever get a hint. He'd long since lost the will to kill Nnoitra. No, he pitied the man now. But as a last sign of respect for his powers he would grant Nnoitra one final favor.

"You have lost, Nnoitra." Ichigo started. "but I will, as a sign of respect for your powers in battle, show you my _resurrección._ It is the first time ever that I am using it, so watch out, my control over it might not be too good."

Nnoitra's eyes widened in obvious fear at this point. It was understandable.

Red reiatsu started leaking out of Ichigo's body forming a cocoon-like figure all around him. The cocoon slowly started whirling and turning into a giant monstrosity much resembling a true devil. The ground of the platform started to shake with the heavy pressure of his reiatsu and spectators several hundred yards away could only gape at Ichigo in awe.

_"Shimasu, Atrevico!"[1]_

As Ichigo said these words the reiatsu seemed to retract back into himself and the shaking of the earth stopped, almost instantly.

Just as people begun to wonder why nothing had happened a violent explosion of red and this time, black reiatsu too was pushed in every direction. It had been the calm before the storm.

Cracks formed in the mountain platform the combatants were standing on and the edges were starting to crumble and fall apart crushing to the ground in a violent shower of rocks and stones.

Meanwhile the majority of the _Numerós_ spectators were having trouble breathing due to the incredible amount of reiatsu released by one person, to others however it appeared as if he merely had trouble controlling it. Which made sense in the end, this being the first time ever he released.

Nnoitra meanwhile had to slam one of his scythes into the ground to keep himself firmly in place. Sand and dust was being forced into his eyes untill slowly the pressure of the reiatsu started to subside as if it was being sucked back into the source.

As the dust cleared however, Nnoitra couldn't help but gasp.

Half of Ichigo's upper body was exposed as one half of his vest was ruined by the spikes having sprouted from his left shoulder. Several tall spikes were running from the top of his back up untill they reached the top of his shoulder. The rest of his shoulder was covered in a bone like substance much resembling a shoulder pad. From what could be seen of his chest it was covered in intricate red markings that originated from his Hollow hole and ran all the way up to his shoulder and presumably to the other shoulder as well where it would form a mark much resembling a large intricate cross.

His right shoulder on the other hand was covered in large white ragged clothing that ran from his right shoulder to his left hip and hung loosely to his right hip. The cloth on his right shoulder seemed to be held in place by bolts that were sticking out of it. How the cloth on his left and right hip were kept in place remained a mystery though.

With part of his vest torn to pieces due to his transformation a large number 1 became visible tattooe'd on the left side of his throat. And looking at his hands people noticed the same bone-like substance that was on his left shoulder had formed on the top of his fingers as well, seemingly protecting them and possibly to reinforce the impact of punches.

Next his Zanpakutou had turned completely black as well as grown close to a foot longer. The entire part from the guard untill the end of the hilt was wrapped in the same ragged white cloth that was wrapped around Ichigo's shoulder and a small piece of cloth fell down at the end of the hilt. Thus the cloth also prevented one from seeing the actual shape of the guard.

The last of the changes in Ichigo's appearance was his hair which had become rather ragged and more dirty-looking as well as longer reaching slightly past his shoulders now. And the last changes were his eyes, his eyes had become bright yellow with a dark black pupil inside of it. His eyes were possibly the most frightening of the entire transformation.

=0=

As Nelliel looked at the back of Ichigo's released form she couldn't help but be reminded of the way he looked as an Adjuchas, except he stood a little straighter now. Ofcourse it was only the left shoulder that resembled it, even if only slightly but nonetheless she could see the resemblance. She had felt the reiatsu release when Ichigo had uttered those two words. His reiatsu felt almost exactly like the reiatsu he'd emitted as a Vasto Lorde.

Looking to her right she could see Ggio standing there, mouth agape and his eyes wide. He almost seemed...afraid. Neliel however decided to reassure him.

"Ggio," She started. "There is no need to be afraid. Ichigo is powerful, exceptionally so but I understand now why he has refused to release up untill now. He dreads bringing up the primal instincts of a Hollow. He sealed all but a fraction of his Hollow powers in his Zanpakutou. The only reason he has used it now is to pay his final respects to Nnoitra in battle so as not to humiliate him if he ends up losing his life."

Ggio looked at her for a few moments before closing his eyes briefly. Opening them again, he smirked. "I can imagine now why Aizen-sama chose to give Ichigo-sama the position of _Primera _Espada." Ggio said.

And Nelliel found she couldn't agree more. By taking in Ichigo, he had created the most powerful soldier he would ever have under his command.

=0=

"Let us finish this battle, Nnoitra," Ichigo told him

Nnoitra for his part smirked. But Ichigo understood now, he truly understood. He didn't smirk because he expected to win. He smirked because he would enjoy what could be the last of the battles he enjoyed so much. He smirked so he could enjoy what could be the last moments alive.

When Ichigo dissapeared Nnoitra could hardly keep track of him. The only thing he noticed was that something was approaching him quickly. And so he did the best thing he could. He held all six of his weapons in front of him so as to defend himself from the attack he knew was coming.

As Ichigo approached Nnoitra he raised his sword above his head with two hands, seeing Nnoitra bring up all six of his weapons to defend against the attack Ichigo slammed down a vertical strike with as much power as he could muster. Nnoitra grinned at him as he blocked the attack. Ichigo however, merely grinned back.

"It's over, Nnoitra!" He started, before softly whispering two words. _"Kuroi Getsuga!"[2]_

A black reiatsu engulfed in a line of red reiatsu appeared out of the tip of his Zanpakutou causing Nnoitra's eyes to widen. As Nnoitra opened his mouth to scream the attack completely engulfed him and the resulting explosion once again covered the platform in sand and dust obstructing the both of them from view.

When the dust cleared, a few moments later however a large gap ran from the middle of the platform all the way untill the end, basically splitting the platform in two. Nnoitra could be seen lying on the ground just a few feet to the right of the gap. He'd lost his three right arms and his body was covered in burns. His eyes were closed and while he was certainly in bad shape he could still be seen breathing, he appeared to be unconscious. Ichigo bowed his head once towards Nnoitra, before slowly turning around and walking away.

"_Arrigatou, _Nnoitra Jiruga."

=0=

**Shimasu, Atrevico** : Literally translates as _Mutilate, Daredevil._

**Kuroi Getsuga** : This one I have basically stolen from the internet. When Ichigo's Hollow would take over and fire a Getsuga Tenshou in the anime people would often refer to it as _Kuroi Getsuga_ or _Black Moon Fang._ I have decided to grant Ichigo this ability because despite the fact that he is a Hollow his soul remains the same and as far as I know Shinigami Zanpakutou spirits are bound to souls that resemble their own. Thus, since Ichigo's soul has basically remained the same since becoming a Hollow I believed it possible for him to gain a similar ability.

=0=

_And so we have finished another chapter. I have to admit this chapter has grown a lot larger then I orignally intended, getting close to 13,000 words without reviews or author's notes. Nonetheless I'd rather have a chapter be too long then too short.  
_

_I am curious to know what people think of my choice of Fracción. I know atleast one person had suggested it before although I cannot exactly remember who without looking it up, so I'm sorry for that! You should know that while I appreciate hearing what you think of my choice I will not change it merely because you think it should be someone else, whatever the reasons may be._

_Next I am, once again. Interested to find out what people thought about the fight scenes. I personally have no idea if they are well written or not as I merely write untill I am personally satisfied about them. Which doesn't necessarily mean they are either good or bad._

_And lastly I would like to know what people thought of Ichigo's resurrección. To tell you the truth it surprised me greatly that noone thus far had even asked for it. Not that I am complaining as I intended to keep it hidden for a while, which means, untill now! I am curious though, let me know what you think about it._

_R&R!_


	10. Replacements

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach!

**Minato Uzumaki:** Heh, truth be told at first I hadn't intended for him to release. But I released that since he started pitying Nnoitra more then hating him. He would pay his final respects to the _Sexta_ by showing him his own release as well and essentially have Nnoitra go down as an equal.

Indeed, the new Espada will be introduced this chapter. You all know them. But no it is not Harribel. She will make her appearance eventually though, that is inevitable. But not just yet.

**Lycodrake: **Yes, Harribel and her Fracción will be added at one point or another. I can promise you that much. Just, not yet.

**DarkJason:**I am not exactly certain where on the timeline my story would currently lie. But the truth is that no more then a month or three have passed so I believe it would actually be somewhere at the end of the Bounto arc. Then again, Bounto-arc never happened in my story.

Apart from that I'm glad you saw Nnoitra's demise as a warrior's death as that is in the end what I had intended it as.

**James D. Fawkes:** I am as of yet not certain if he will have Segunda Etapa. As I have stated before I would first like to know how it is achieved in the first place. Is it random depending on the potential of the Arrancar or is it achieved by hard work such as a Shinigami's bankai?

Nonetheless if I deem it necessary for Ichigo to possess the Segunda Etapa transformation then he _will_ eventually have one. But for now, no he won't, at the very least not yet.

**X009: **For now I am not yet certain what other abilities Ichigo's _resurrección_ will grant him. Though you can be sure there are going to be more then just that one.

Wether Nnoitra is dead remains to be seen. If I can use him again in the story. I might, I never literally wrote that he died so that makes it quite easy for me.

**Grinja:** As for Aizen knowing about Ichigo and Nel's visits to his _only_ prisoner. You will find out soon.

**mlkoolc86:** And that's where you got me. I should've realized I did something wrong. Starrk indeed, is the same person as he is in canon, along with Lilynette. Thus instead of a Zanpakutou appearing it should have been Lilynette. Thanks for paying such close attention, I will edit this rather big mistake on my part as soon as possible.

**kazekyuu:** Ugh. Thank you for pointing that out as well. If I hate one thing it annoying little grammar mistakes such as that. I will try to edit this as soon as possible as well. Though it might take significantly longer since I'll inevitably have to read the entire story again.

**In general:** A big thanks to you everyone for your fantastic reviews and positive comments. I truly appreciate the questions, the criticism and ofcourse the praise. I realise this story has grown far faster then I originally intended, as someone just pointed out it is only a little over a week old. But once again, thank you for the fantastic reviews and I hope you enjoy reading the next chapter.

**Chapter 9: Replacements.**

Ichigo raised his hand to block another pair of swift thrusts aimed at his chest by Ggio. Ggio quickly unleashed a long combination thrusts and swipes at Ichigo but it was once more in vain.

It had been almost a week since the battle between Ichigo and Nnoitra and it was still being talked about all around Las Noches. Ggio for his part, couldn't be happier about it, as he was the sole _Fracción_ of the Espada who beat up Nnoitra effortlessly.

Ever since the battle Ichigo had been training Ggio almost daily. Ggio would be allowed to use anything. He could use any ability he possessed and was allowed to release if he so pleased. Ichigo on the other hand was not even allowed to draw his sword.

This was, as Ichigo had called it, the first part of Ggio's training. They would spar continuously untill Ggio managed to draw blood. Which basically meant managing to break through Ichigo's _hierro_.

The first few days Ggio hadn't fared well. But after some tips from Ichigo he had gradually begun to improve. So far he had even managed to make some deep scratches in Ichigo's _hierro_ but he wasn't at the point where he would be able to draw blood just yet.

In an attempt to anger Ggio, which somehow always managed to increase his efforts, Ichigo looked over at the edge of the training ground. Sitting there on a bench was Nelliel along with Pesche and Dondochakka. The latter animatedly talking to one another while Nel was currently staring off into space. Ichigo smirked, unsure if he wanted to know what went on inside of that woman's head.

Proving himself right once more Ichigo felt the intensity of Ggio's strikes increase and so he turned his attention back to the fight. Ggio's breathing, Ichigo noticed, was getting more labored with each passing second. And so Ichigo held up his hand, signifying they were done for the day.

Walking over to Nelliel he saw she had now returned to the world of the living and was currently looking at the two approaching Arrancar. Reaching her, Ichigo accepted the two bottles of water she offered him and he quickly handed one to Ggio who nodded his thanks.

It had taken a couple of days before Ggio got the hang of how to act around Ichigo and to an extend Nel and her _Fracción_. But he had been steadily improving. There were no more kneeling greetings or constant mentionings of the word 'Ichigo-sama'. Ofcourse when Ggio refered to him it was still in that very way but then again that was to be expected. Wether you considered your _Fracción_ your friends, tools or servants one thing that would never changed was that they acted respectfully towards their masters.

"Ichigo-sama,"Ggio spoke up, pulling Ichigo out of his thoughts. "I was wondering, those things you did with Nnoitra last week. The rods of light that seemed to lock him in place, the way his arms seemed to get bound behind his back. What was that?"

Ichigo smirked. Ggio had been the first one to ask him about that, which proved he was more perceptive then Ichigo had previously thought. Even though he had whispered the incantation of _Bakudou #1_ in his fight with Nnoitra, it was obvious that everyone had seen the effects and would probably wonder what he'd done.

"It was Kidou, Ggio," Ichigo spoke up, answering Ggio's question. Ggio for his part looked even more confused.

"The Art of Kidou is a bunch of abilities, spells really, that are taught to Shinigami in Soul Society." Ichigo explained. "I once asked Aizen if we, as Arrancar, could learn such techniques. He was positive we could and so I requested to be trained in it." Ichigo lied. Not wanting to show the blatant favoritism Aizen had shown him.

Ggio could only stare at Ichigo. His master had been learning some of the Shinigami arts? Ggio didn't exactly understand, they were Hollow weren't they? Why would they want to learn something that's commonly learned by Shinigami. It appeared as if Ichigo could see the confusion written on Ggio's face as he decided to answer the question for the Arrancar.

"Tell me Ggio, what would you be willing to do for power?" Ichigo asked his _Fracción_.

"Well, generally I would do a lot for power. But it would depend on what kind of power." Ggio told Ichigo, though the uncertainty could be heard in his voice as if he wasn't sure if his master would approve of his answer.

"My kind of power, Ggio." Ichigo explained.

Ggio's eyes widened. The kind of power Ichigo-sama held? He would do absolutely anything for that.

"I would do anything for that, Ichigo-sama!" Ggio exclaimed.

Ichigo sighed, and turned his head to look over at Nel who sat on his left. She looked at him intently, as if attempting to figure out the meaning of his words. Turning his attention back to Ggio he continued.

"Let me tell you a story, Ggio, of a human Shinigami who died and turned into a Hollow." Ichigo told him before motioning for him to sit down, indicating this could take a while.

And so Ichigo began his story. He told Ggio about how the human boy gained the Shinigami powers one night, transfered over to him by another Shinigami. He explained how they had continued to cleanse the town of Hollow for weeks on end. Untill finally, the Shinigami that had given Ichigo his powers had been forcefully taken back to Soul Society. The human boy, who had tried to protect her, lay broken and bloody on the streets of his hometown.

He told Ggio how the boy appeared in Hueco Mundo as a Hollow. Lost and robbed of his memories but he was tended to by another Hollow and they'd stayed together ever since. He then explained how the two Hollow had been visited by a man who was rumored to be building an army. The man was a Shinigami.

And so Ichigo told him how the Hollow had been molded into a Vasto Lorde by the Shinigami. "He had been forced to fight for his life for four days and nights on end with a mere three hours of sleep every night. And at the end of the four days and nights, he evolved and was subsequently turned into an Arrancar by the Shinigami." Ichigo paused for a moment here before he continued telling his story to Ggio. "The Shinigami decided that he was satisfied with his newest Arrancar, his most loyal soldier but above all his mere weapon and tool. And so he branded the Arrancar with the number #1, just a little to the left of his throat." Ichigo said, while unzipping the collar of his vest. Exposing his Espada tattoo.

Ggio's jaw meanwhile, had dropped a long time ago. And he was openly staring at Ichigo, his eyes wide and an expression of disbelief on his face.

"Gaining power such as mine for nothing more but loyalty to the man who gave it to me." Ichigo said. "It seemed like a golden deal, wouldn't you agree?" Ichigo chuckled lightly.

"But I was a fool, Ggio. Swearing loyalty to a man whose goals are unknown. Swearing loyalty to a man who discards all those he long has any use for." Ichigo exclaimed, his voice gradually having gotten a bit louder.

"The mistake I made cost me dearly but there is nothing to be done about it now." He started again. "I have sworn loyalty and thus am bound to Aizen-sama. If Aizen-sama wants me to be a weapon then so be it. But not while I sit back and watch. I will do everything I can to achieve more power and keep improving myself so that I can be a weapon unlike any other ever before. I will not lose my worth and be discarded as so many others before me." He explained calmly.

Ichigo wasn't sure why he had told all this to Ggio. Truthfully, only Nel and her _Fracción_ knew about the things he had told him just now. Rukia knew about part of them but not all. Ichigo just felt he had to show he trusted Ggio before the Arrancar would ever trust him completely as well. He had after all been discarded as _Fracción_ by another Espada before, Barragan Luisenbarn, to be precise.

Deciding not to give Ggio a chance to reply he stood up and motioned with his hand for Ggio to follow him as they made their way silently back to his quarters.

Nel in the meantime watched at Ichigo's retreating form with a sad and forlorn expression.

=0=

Ichigo and Nelliel sat next to one another on one of the more comfortable couches of one of the standard meeting rooms around Las Noches. They had gathered here today for another one of Aizen's meetings although none of them had a definite answer to the question of what the meeting would be about, Ichigo and Nelliel had an idea.

It wasn't too hard to figure out either. Just last week the Espada had lost two of it's members among which one of them was a senior Espada. Considering the fact that Ichimaru and Tousen had been out and about a lot the past few days it wouldn't surprise Ichigo if they had been looking for powerful Hollow.

Looking around he noticed that many Arrancar had begun to gather around the room. Though they noticeably kept their distance from any of the Espada members and their _Fracción_. Throwing a glance behind him he saw Ggio was still standing on guard behind the coach, Pesche and Dondochakka next to him, although relatively more calm. Ichigo smiled, Ggio should learn to relax some more. Then again, admittedly it had taken Ichigo a long time to get where he was now.

The room fell silent as Aizen entered who purposefully strode towards the throne at the end of the room, a bit to the left of the couch Ichigo and Nel were sitting in.

Sitting down. He raised his eyes and looked at the room at large, before smiling. "My dear Espada," He called out, purposefully ignoring the dozens of _Numerós_. "As I'm sure you're aware we are currently two members short. So let me introduce to you our two newest members." Aizen voice rang out.

As he finished. The doors opened once more to reveal Ichimaru and Tousen each leading a single Arrancar to the front of the room, towards Aizen and the Espada.

In front of Tousen walked a youthful looking Arrancar with short black hair. Just above his left eyebrow was a row of three pink stars. The remains of his Hollow mask appeared to form a top row of teeth and were located on the left side of his head. He wore a fairly standard Arrancar uniform except he had long sleeves that fell even past his hands, hiding them from view.

In front of Ichimaru walked a tall, muscular and dark-skinned Arrancar with rather large lips. The remnants of his Hollow mask consisted of a row of bony spikes along the crest of his head forming something similar to a mohawk hairstyle along with a pair of skull-shaped earrings and a thick bony necklace. He was bald and had slightly yellowish eyes.

As soon as the two Arrancar reached Aizen's throne they kneeled in front of him, their heads bowed low. "Rise, Luppi, Zommari," Aizen spoke.

Motioning for them to take their place among the rest of the Espada Aizen again turned his attention back to the room at large. "I'd like for everyone to welcome our two newest members of the Espada." Aizen started. "Zommari Leroux will replace Szayel Aporro Granz as the _Octava _Espada." The announcement was instantly applauded by the majority of _Numerós_ in the room. One would almost think that there was an unwritten rule which stated that the one which could applaud the loudest would get to fill the remaining spot into the Espada.

Aizen however quickly motioned for silence. When the noise of applauding slowly died down Aizen continued. "Luppi meanwhile will take the position of _Séptima _Espada, replacing Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

"What?!" Grimmjow's outraged voice resounded through the chamber.

"Silence, Grimmjow. Aizen-sama isn't done yet, I believe. You might even like what is about to happen so shut it." Ichigo's authorative voice rang out. Instantly silencing Grimmjow. It was another advantage of his fight with Nnoitra, he had gained a lot of respect because of it.

Aizen merely smiled at Ichigo. Silently thanking him for silencing Grimmjow. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez will take over the position of _Sexta _Espada instead of Nnoitra Jiruga." Grimmjow's eyes widened at this revelation before he grinned widely.

After the applause had died down for a third time Aizen dismissed everyone but not before asking Ichigo and Nelliel to stay behind. They, ofcourse obliged instantly, telling their _Fracción _to go on without them.

As the room cleared out Aizen took a site in one of the comfortable armchairs and motioned for Ichigo and Nelliel to seat themselves back into the couch.

"Ichigo, Nelliel," Aizen started. "I hear you have enjoyed the company of Las Noches only prisoner recently."

Their faces instantly paled at this. They knew that Aizen would find out sooner or later and they'd wondered why he hadn't spoken to them about it untill now. They weren't sure how he would react however. She was a prisoner after all but it wasn't as if they'd let her out of her cell.

Aizen however, chuckled at the looks on their faces. "Not to worry," He started again. "I had expected you to seek her out sooner, Ichigo. She is an important part of your past after all. And while you have vowed to serve me faithfully I did expect you might want to regain as much of your memories as you possibly could."

Ichigo face remained impassive as he gave a single nod. He was quite surprised Aizen had known exactly why Ichigo had been going there. Just how long had he known?

"I particularly enjoyed the scene where you, Nelliel ordered _Buerto[1]_ to go collect a proper meal for both yourself and our dear Rukia." Aizen commented, chuckling silently.

Ichigo and Nel could only look at Aizen with wide eyes. He had known for that long and not said a word? Aizen truly was a patient man, either that or he really didn't mind at all.

"A-Aizen-sama-" Ichigo began. But he was cut off before he could get anywhere.

"It is fine, Ichigo, Nelliel. As I said, I had expected it and so it does not bother me." Aizen explained.

Ichigo was surprised at this and instantly had to think about paying off the debt he owed Rukia. Deciding to risk it all he chose to just ask Aizen.

"Aizen-sama, forgive me but, is there any chance she could be released or perhaps taken back to Soul Society? I feel as if I owe her for returning my memories to me from back when I was still a Shinigami." Ichigo explained. "I'm sorry for showing this much emotion so openly but I feel it is the least I can do to repay her."

Aizen seemed to consider it. He remained silent for quite a while before a small smile formed on his face. "Showing emotion is not a sin, Ichigo. It merely shows how you have evolved from the ordinary Hollow to something much greater." Aizen started. He went silent again for a moment before he asked his question. "So, you have regained your memories then Ichigo, atleast those of your time as Shinigami?" Aizen asked him.

At Ichigo's nod, Aizen smiled again and continued. "I'm glad." He began. "Very well, Ichigo. Here is the deal. In the near future I am in need for one of the Espada to go on an individual mission to Soul Society to retrieve something for me, if you agree to do that for me I will allow you to drop off Rukia on that mission as well, we have no further use for her anyway. The truth is that we haven't had a use for her ever since I extracted the Hougyoku."

Ichigo couldn't help but smile widely at this. "_Arrigatou_, Aizen-sama." Ichigo said as he bowed his head slightly.

Aizen merely smiled in return before he dismissed the both of them.

=0=

The next morning Ichigo could once again be seen training his Kidou, this time in what Aizen had told him was a training ground reserved specifically for Ichimaru, Tousen and Aizen himself.

Ichigo had completely finished working on _Hadou #73 - Soren Soukatsui _an _Bakudou #73 - Tozansho _a couple of days ago. He had immediately been instructed in the use of another useful _Bakudou _as well as one more _Hadou _spell. Both of those were pretty easy compared to the two seventy-level spells he had learned previously. Said spells were _Bakudou #62 - Hyappo Rankan_ and _Hadou #54 - Haien._

_Bakudou #62 - Hyappo Rankan_ was basically a pole of pure reiryoku which was formed in your hand. This was then thrown at the opponent and while in the air it would multiply into about a hundred poles. Ichigo had to admit he thought it could be a very useful technique.

_Hadou #54 - Haien_ was a spell that would completely incinerate anything it touched untill there was nothing more but ashes left. It did depend on the size of the target though. Something as large as a human body wouldn't have such an effect. It would definitely cause a nasty burn though and could even go as far as to burn a hole through the body.

Those two spells hadn't been too hard Ichigo had concluded. According to Tousen this was the case because he had just learned two of the harder seventy-level spells which required excellent reiatsu control and manipulation. _Haien_ and _Hyappo Rankan _were merely taught because they were useful spells to know, not much because they would improve his already good understanding of _Kidou._

It was then that Aizen stepped forward and told Ichigo that he would learn the remaining spells from Aizen himself again. For while Tousen was proficient enough to instruct the use of the _Bakudou_ spell Aizen was planning to teach Ichigo next, Aizen certainly was far more proficient in it. Other then that Aizen was also the only one out of the three Captains who could effectively use the _Hadou _spell he was planning to teach Ichigo.

"Ichigo, right now we are arriving at the pinnacle of _Kidou_ abilities. While you have not mastered anywhere close to all of the _Kidou _spells in existence there are only a handful of spells left that I plan to teach to you." Aizen told him.

Ichigo meanwhile was surprised. It didn't feel like that long ago that he had started with practising in the Art of _Kidou._ To realise that he had already arrived at which Aizen called the pinacle of _Kidou_ abilities was quite shocking. Though now that he thought of it he should have realised as much. After all, there were no more then ninety-nine _Kidou_ spells per branch. Since he had mastered up to seventy-three he was indeed getting rather close to the pinnacle.

"I will first name the two spells I plan to teach to you next. They are _Bakudou #81 - Danku _and _Hadou #88 - Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho._ I believe this will take you a while to master, considering the fact that the _Bakudou _spell is eight levels higher then the highest _Bakudou _you have mastered so far. The same goes for the _Hadou_ only this one is _fifteen_ levels higher, though admittedly it is very similar to abilities such as _Cero _as well as _Hadou #63 - Raikouhou_. The obvious difference being that when mastered it's power far exceeds both." Aizen explained.

Ichigo nodded at his explanation. He hadn't realized the difference in level of spells would've been this high. He'd expected some upper tier seventy level spells. Not one lower and higher tier eighty level spell. Regardless, he would master these, that he vowed. He was eager to get started on the _Hadou #88_ though, since it was supposed to be similar to _Cero_ yet far more powerful.

"For the sake of testing my theory I believe we should start with the _Hadou._ I will show it to you once and then instruct you on it's proper use after which you can try it out on your own for a while. I will interupt and add some hints and tips if I feel it is necessary however other then that you will be left up to your own devices." Aizen explained once more.

Nodding, Ichigo signified he was ready to be shown the technique.

Aizen at Ichigo's signal, held out his open palm and grabbed his wrist with his other arm.

"_Hadou #88 - Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho."_ Aizen calmly chanted.

As soon as Ichigo saw the gigantic beam of bright blue light emerge from Aizen's palm however his head started to burst. He grabbed his head and fell to his knees in the hope of decreasing the pain.

He vaguely registered the crying sound of the kidou blast and the bright blue light still attempting to seek it's way back within his vision. But his eyes soon closed and darkness claimed him.

=0=

_Opening his eyes Ichigo noticed he was standing in what looked like an underground basement he concluded as he saw a ladder leading towards the ceiling. It was the oddest thing he'd ever seen though, as far as he could look everywhere around him were rock formations and nothing else. It was obviously some kind of training ground._

_Turning his attention back to himself he saw he looking at his hands. Only, they weren't hands, they were claws. Claws he knew all too well. He had somehow returned to his Adjuchas form. It must be another memory, Ichigo thought as he compared the similarities. Perhaps this was the memory that would show him how he ended up in Hueco Mundo._

_"Who am I? Where am I?" He heard his Hollow voice call out. Though it wasn't exactly him talking either._

_Looking up he could see two people standing in front of him. The first was a large, muscular, dark-skinned man wearing square-shaped glasses. He apeared to have some sort of braided hairstyle and a large handle-bar mustache. Said man was wearing a white shirt with a blue apron._

_The other man had messy, pale, blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He wore dark green pants with a matching dark green shirt and a dark gray-green coat along with a striped bucket hat on top of his head._

_Looking over to the larger man once more he noticed the man seemed to be silently chanting. Inwardly Ichigo's eyes widened and he willed his body to move, not realising it wasn't something he could control. He was afraid he knew what was going to happen. As if on cue his worst fear was realized._

_"Hadou 88 - Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!" The large man cried out._

_And just as Ichigo noticed his eyes widening he was engulfed in a large flash of blue light at near point blank range. _

_When the light was over he felt himself raise onto one knee and focussing his reiatsu into his index finger. His body looked battered, bruised and broken but he appeared to be healing and was still moving._

_Looking over towards the place where the two men were supposed to be, he found that they had their backs turned to him and were walking away. He could only hope they wouldn't turn around to prevent him from leaving. As if reading his thoughts the blonde man turned his head around and his eyes widened. _

_As the Hollow Ichigo opened the Garganta and stepped inside he could just make out Urahara standing there with an expression of horror on his face. As soon as the Garganta closed, so did Hollow Ichigo's eyes and his world went black again._

_=0=_

Slowly opening his eyes he noticed he was still lying on the training ground. Tousen seemed to be checking his vitals as Aizen and Ichimaru merely watched him proceed.

Groaning he pushed himself up and leaned his back against the wall. Silence reigned among the three Captains and the Arrancar as no one spoke a word. Finally deciding to break the silence Ichigo spoke up.

"I know who caused me to end up in Hueco Mundo, as severely wounded as I was." Ichigo stated plainly. Getting right down to business.

"Oh?" Aizen merely asked, but Ichigo could tell he was interested. But perhaps not because he didn't already know though. Knowing Aizen he merely wanted his theory comfirmed.

Explaining the appearance of the two men Aizen eventually smirked. Causing Ichigo to frown.

"Urahara Kisuke and Tsukabishi Tessai, former _juunibantai-taicho[2]_ and former Kido-Corps Commander respectively." Aizen started. "They caught me conducting illegal hollowfication experiments. Myself, Gin and Kaname retreated and left Urahara and Tessai to clean up the 'wounded'. The next day they were arrested and sentenced for the crimes I committed. However they were rescued by Shihouin Yoruichi former _nibantai-taicho[3]_ and all three went into exile in the real world." Aizen explained.

Ichigo was shocked. He had been lucky to come out of that encounter alive. Two Captain-level Shinigami would've had no problem with an Adjuchas no matter how strong it may have been. He had been lucky indeed. But he vowed he would return the favor. When the war finally started, they would be at the top of his list of targets.

Thanking Aizen for the information he requested to be done early today. As his request was granted he turned around and made his way back to his quarters.

=0=

Later that night, Nelliel and Ichigo entered Rukia's cell for what Ichigo assumed would be one of the last times.

As Nel sat down against the wall Ichigo took a seat next to her and instantly locked eyes with Rukia. Rukia for her part could see the seriousness displayed in them. And couldn't help but wonder what had caused it.

"Rukia," Ichigo started. "I will soon repay you for what you did for me."

He left the statement hanging in the air for a short while before he continued.

"I will soon return you to Soul Society, your rightful place. Aizen-sama has no further use for you." Ichigo told her, and as he finished he smiled at her. It was a happy smile but at the same time it displayed some sadness.

"I see," Rukia replied, uncomfortably. It was what she'd wanted ever since she had arrived in Las Noches. And she wasn't lying when she said she still wanted it. But she was going to miss Ichigo, despite everything, she enjoyed being in his company.

"I..." Ichigo started but seemingly was unsure of how to continue. "Rukia," He tried again. "I want you to know that next to Nelliel," which caused Nel to look up, "you are my dearest friend and I will always treasure the bond we share." Ichigo explained her.

Rukia smiled at him. It was ironic that as a Hollow Ichigo was far calmer and less violent then he'd been as a human. But she had a feeling his words were preparing her for something. "I appreciate it Ichigo and you know the feeling is mutual." She started. "But I sense a but incoming..."

Ichigo closed his eyes briefly and nodded weakly at her statement. "_Ah._" Ichigo answered. "We are on opposite sides of a war, Rukia." He told her.

She looked away as Ichigo said that. It wasn't something she had wanted to think about but it had come up in her head before. From what Rukia could gather, if they wanted to defeat Aizen, they would have to go through his Espada. Ichigo and Nel were both part of the Espada and they were both dear to Rukia. She didn't even want to think of having to face any one of them in battle.

Ichigo, sensing her inner turmoil decided to help her out a bit. "Rukia. If there is any way that I would wish to fall in battle. Then it would be by your blade." Ichigo told her.

This caused Rukia's eyes to widen. And Ichigo let out a loud chuckle at the priceless expression on her face.

"Don't mistake me though. I won't make it easy on you. But if I were to fall by your hand, I wouldn't mind at all. You'd have to get stronger though, truth be told you don't stand much of a chance against me now." He said, smirking.

Now that remark caused a vein in Rukia's forehead to throb. Ichigo instantly noticed this and help his hands in front of his body as if to defend himself.

Rukia instantly deflated but she was curious though. Just how strong were the Espada. "Ichigo, just how powerful are the Espada?"

Ichigo sighed, he'd been expecting that question for a long time now and it had taken her far longer to ask it then he had expected. "I can't really tell you Rukia." He told her causing her eyes to look down at her lap in dissapointment. Ichigo chuckled at this. "I could tell you, but I'd have to have your word on the fact that you will not pass on this information to anyone else. I'm sorry for asking that of you but if you want to know that's the only way you're getting it out of me." He said with another one of his smirks.

Rukia looked thoughtful at this. The information would've been valuable to Soul Society but it's obvious Ichigo, despite how much he liked her did want his side to win. The condition was fair and if she agreed with it she vowed to herself she would keep her word. Slowly, she nodded to let him know she agreed.

He smiled at her warmly before he started to talk. "The Espada consists of ten Arrancar. With the number ten being the weakest of the Espada and the number one being the strongest." Ichigo explained.

"Now to give you a bit of a realistic overview of the power of the average Espada I'll have to explain some other things first. As you know a Vasto Lorde class Hollow, is a Hollow that is significantly more powerful then the average Soul Society Captain." Ichigo explained, Rukia nodded, letting him know she knew. "In the Espada, there are five Arrancar that were created out of Vasto Lordes." Ichigo stated, flatly.

Rukia gasped. _Five?_ That was half of the Espada that was created out of Vasto Lordes. The Shinigamification Aizen performed on them would also significantly increase their powers and thus each of these five Arrancar would theoretically be more powerful then perhaps almost any Captain in Soul Society.

"Four more were created out of Adjuchas level hollow and they are all at about the level of a Shinigami Captain. Some are slightly stronger, others perhaps a bit below the average Captain's strength." Ichigo said.

"And one was created from a Gillian class Menos. He too I would rank just a little bit below the average Captain. But still strong enough to be more then a match for them." He said.

"Then on top of that each Espada is allowed to take as many _Fracción_ under their wing as they please. A _Fracción_ can basically be any Arrancar they choose. They are often used as bodyguards, servants or in a very rare case, friends." He added with a wink at Nelliel.

"And lastly ofcourse there are your three traitorous Captains. Ichimaru Gin, Tousen Kaname and Aizen Sousuke." He finished.

Rukia could only stare at Ichigo with wide eyes. These Arrancar were _that_ powerful? Ten Captain level Arrancar of which five were likely far above the level of the average Captain. Now, she wasn't so sure anymore if the whole incident with Aizen would be resolved so smoothly. Nonetheless, she had a few more questions left.

"And these normal Arrancar, _Numerós_ you called them when you explained them to me I believe. What level are they at?" Rukia asked.

"That differs greatly but I would say their power varies between the average Shinigami 5th seat and the average Shinigami Vice-Captain. Some are even a bit more powerful then that." He explained.

Rukia nodded absent mindedly. From what she knew Aizen had at the very least an army of fifty _Numerós_-classed Arrancar at his disposal. Along with the ten Espada and their _Fracción_ as well as the three Captains themselves it was a very impressive army. It's power could very well be greater then that of the Gotei 13.

"Anything else you want to know, Rukia? Since I trust you will keep this for yourself you might as well ask anything you might still want to know." Ichigo said.

"Uhm..." Rukia started, a bit nervous about asking and perhap more importantly, hearing the answer to this question. "What numbers do you and Nelliel bear?" She asked finally.

Ichigo and Nelliel smiled at this. It was about time. If it were Ichigo it would've been the first question he asked.

Getting up, Nelliel first turned to Ichigo. "Close your eyes Ichi," She basically ordered him, leaving no room for negotation, not that Ichigo would've considered negotiating about it in the first place.

When Nelliel saw him close his eyes she unzipped her jacket and proceeded to take it off, causing Rukia's eyes to widen. Just as she was about to protest however, Nell turned around. Rukia's eyes, if possible, widened even further at seeing the large number three tattooed on her back.

Putting her jacket back on and turning back towards Rukia she smiled softly. "I'm the _Tercera _Espada, Rukia."

Rukia meanwhile was speecheless. Nel, the _Tercera _Espada, the number three Arrancar in Aizen's army? She couldn't comprehend it, Nel was such a kind and gentle soul. To think she was this capable in battle was shocking. Before she could get any further in her thoughts however, Ichigo stood up, catching her attention.

As he walked over to her he motioned for her to stand up as well, which she did. As he unzipped the collar of his vest she once again got to see the face of the boy that she finally made peace with. The one person apart from Shiba Kaien and Abarai Renji that would always hold a special place in her heart. Before she got a chance to examine him any further however he grabbed her hand softly put it down on his neck, as if to cover something.

"Whenever you're ready," He said with what Rukia thought was a hint of sadness in his voice. As soon as he had laid her hand on that spot in his neck her interest was piqued and she slowly removed it.

As she removed her hand completely she openly gasped. She instantly held a hand in front of her mouth and her eyes started to tremble. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. On Ichigo's neck, a little to the left of his throat a big number one was tattooed.

"_Primera _Espada, Kurosaki Ichigo, nice to meet you!" He exclaimed with a wide smile, holding out his hand.

Rukia couldn't help but chuckle at that. It appeared she'd gotten a little carried away. It's not like it changed anything. Still, she couldn't fathom the fact that Ichigo was apparently the strongest Arrancar in Aizen's army.

"I want to warn you though, Rukia. Ichigo is the _Primera_ but not only that." She started. "his power is on a completely different level then that of any of the other Espada, believe me when I say that. And I have seen each and every one of the Espada fight except for the two newcomers, Luppi the new _Séptima _and Zommari Leroux the new _Octava." _Nelliel explained.

"So I strongly advise you that if you don't want to lose any of your friends from Soul Society that you warn them to stay out of his path." Nelliel almost pleaded with her.

Rukia nodded resolutely towards the girl. She knew the Espada meant it well. If Ichigo killed one of her friends she would be devastated.

"I-Ichigo," Rukia began again. "Just, how strong are you?" She asked seriously.

At this, Ichigo took on a thinking pause, which Rukia believed looked completely out of place on his face and she almost burst out laughing. In the end however she luckily managed to control herself.

"Well, uhm..." He started, unsure of how to word it. "A while ago. I fought our _Sexta _Espada, a man going by the name of Nnoitra Jiruga. Basically, from what Aizen has told me, he should be on par with your infamous Zaraki Kenpachi." Ichigo explained.

Rukia nodded, although she would hardly even want to think about what an Arrancar like Zaraki Kenpachi would possibly be like.

"I beat him. And the only wound I received was a small scratch on the top of my cheekbone." He finished.

Rukia's jaw dropped once again. Ichigo, her very own unofficial substitute Shinigami, had defeated an opponent of Kenpachi's caliber and received no more then a scratch on the cheek? Was this the same boy who had almost died against Grand Fisher that night? The same boy who, despite how impressive it had been, had barely managed to drive away a Gillian, let alone kill it. Well, she surmised, he wasn't exactly the same but still. He remained Ichigo and over the weeks he'd become more and more like the Ichigo she used to know. Nonetheless, she was once more broken out of her thoughts as both Ichigo and Nel stood up.

"We've got a meeting to be at sometime soon so I'm afraid this is where we part for the day, Rukia," Ichigo said walking over to her.

Rukia for her part, wrapped her arms around his waist and Ichigo responded by putting his around her neck and shoulders.

"Thanks for telling me all this Ichigo. And thanks for helping me get back home, despite how much I dislike leaving you here. Atleast you've got Nel to take care of you and kick your ass into shape every now and then." She finished with a smirk which Ichigo mimicked.

When Ichigo and Nel closed the door behind them, Rukia had to admit she couldn't wait untill she was back in Soul Society again.

=0=

Later that very same evening Ichigo, Nelliel and the new Espada Zommari Leroux were making their way to the Espada meeting room. Ichigo had been instructed to lead the way for Zommari as he was new to Las Noches and had not been in the Espada's meeting room before.

Zommari wasn't the best of company but at the very least he could actually converse with people without adding in insults and swear words in between every few words.

"I heard you had a fight with the former _Sexta _Espada not too long ago, is any of this actually true or is it mostly rumors?" Zommari asked, genuinely interested.

"The majority of what you heard is true. Ichi fought and defeated the former _Sexta _Espada. About half of Las Noches was present for the event so I suppose that for a change they actually know what they're talking about." Nelliel's high pitched voice answered for him.

"I see." Zommari said. "But I imagine you must've gotten injured pretty badly? Am I right? Rumors tend to get out of hand generally and I've heard people say that you didn't receive a single injury. Surely, that must've been a lie."

Ichigo smirked behind his collar. "Yes, it was a lie." Ichigo stated, and Zommari appeared to let out a sigh of...relief? "I had a scratch on my cheekbone and my clothing was ripped and burned. Other then that, I can't recall any injuries though." Ichigo stated flatly.

Zommari's eyes visibly widened at this which didn't go unnoticed by Ichigo. Zommari too, realised it hadn't gone unnoticed. "My apologies. I merely imagined that the majority of the Espada would've been around the same level of power. It appears I was mistaken." Zommari stated.

"Not necessarily," Nelliel's voice rang out again. "The numbers _Sexta _untill _Décima_ are relatively close to one another, powerwise. Everything below the number of _Sexta_ is on a completely different level however." She stated.

"So, what are your-" Zommari started but was instantly cut off again.

"We've arrived," Ichigo interupted him as he opened a door on his right.

=0=

The Espada sat gathered around a large rectangular table in their meeting room. On the right of the chair reserved for Aizen sat Ichigo with on the left of the same chair Starrk, who was looking as bored as ever.

Off to Ichigo's right sat Nelliel, her face looked impassive as she sat next to Ichigo but Ichigo could see she was just as bored as the others.

To the right of Nel, three other Espada were seated. They were Ulquiorra Schiffer, Zommari Leroux and Aaroniero Arruruerie.

On starks right, another four Espada were seated. They were Barragan Luisenbarn, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Luppi and Yammy Rialgo.

Most of them were looking as bored as Starrk was. Grimmjow and Luppi however seemed to be arguing and a fair amount of insults were thrown about.

Ichigo thought Luppi had quite some guts. This being the first meeting he had ever been at and already causing such a ruckus. The worst part was all the noise was getting on his nerves and no one else seemed to be intend on saying something.

"Oi, new guy." Ichigo spoke up calmly. Surprisingly Luppi's head turned around almost instantly. " Can't you take a hint when everyone around you isn't saying a word?" He continued. "Now, be quiet." Ichigo finished.

Luppi was just about to retort when Grimmjow's palm slammed itself against his mouth. Luppi instantly turned to look at him with an angry expression. Grimmjow however, just shook his head silently as he took his hand of Luppi's mouth and turned to sit in silence.

As if on cue Aizen entered the room and took a seat in the chair designated for him between Ichigo and Starrk. "Dear brothers and sisters of the Espada," He adressed them. "Let us have tea."

And so their meeting began. Not too much was discussed. Ulquiorra announced that he had found another Vasto Lorde however said Hollow had not been willing to join Aizen's cause. If Aizen was dissapointed at this it didn't show.

Next they had to discuss an issue concerning Szayel Aporro Granz. The former Espada had been demoted and should thus be moving into the quarters designated for the Privaron Espada as his number was now onehundred-and-eight. The problem with this however was that Szayel's lab couldn't simply be moved to the quarters of the Privaron Espada nor could his research and test subjects. And so Aizen concluded that since the research Szayel conducted was important to their cause he could remain in his quarters. Zommari would move into the quarters located in another wing instead.

And then there was the impending search for Nnoitra Jiruga. After the battle a week prior everyone had turned their backs on Nnoitra's broken body and made their way back to Las Noches, assuming he would follow as soon as he was able to. Fact of the matter was however, that Nnoitra's body had completely dissapeared when someone was send to check if he was able to walk yet a couple of hours later. A couple of small search parties had been send out but they had returned with no news. They concluded that Nnoitra must be dead but if he were ever to be found alive he was to be executed immediately.

And with that, it brought Aizen to his last issue for the evening. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have one final issue to discuss." He stated, but seeming changed his mind. "No, scratch that. I have one final _announcement _to make."

That got everyone's attention as the Espada all looked up at this. Even Starrk seemed to raise his eyes. "Tomorrow, Kurosaki Ichigo, our _Primera _Espada," This bit of information caused Zommari's eyes to widen. "Will attempt to infiltrate Soul Society. While there he will drop off our only current prisoner Kuchiki Rukia." Aizen stated.

The eyes of the remaining Espada widened slightly at this. Few of them had even known they had a prisoner in Las Noches. Aizen however was not yet finished.

"And he will capture and bring to me, the Shinigami that goes by the name of Hinamori Momo."

=0=

**[1]Buerto** : That is how I named the guy who brought Rukia her food.

**[2]juunibantai-taicho **: Twelfth Division Captain

**[3]nibantai-taicho** : Second Division Captain

=0=

_And another chapter done. Once again, let me know what you thought of it. It's relatively shorter then the last one (thank god!) but I don't mind because I had some serious trouble writing such a big ass chapter and I just didn't want to cut it short._

_As you have probably read by now. The Espada has changed significantly. I have heard your desperate pleas for Harribel and don't worry she will make her appearance in my story, eventually. I personally am quite intrigued by her character and so I definitely will not forget about that._

_And before you start. Yes, I absolutely despise Luppi! I hope he is going to die a brutal and painful death at one point or another. *Wink wink*._

_Last but not least, as I promised if the Espada would ever change at one point or another in my story I promised to list the new ranking at the end of the chapter. As a small favor I will also add their aspects next to their names. I have agreed with many of the reviewers that have voiced their opinion about it, that the Aspect of Sacrifice is certainly a fitting one for Nelliel. Luppi I have given the aspect of madness because I believe he is just that. Besides I couldn't care too much about Luppi's aspect anyway to tell you the truth, I'm not likely to ever even mention it in the story itself._

_10. Yammy Rialgo. - Aspect of Wrath._

_9. Aaroniero Arruruerie. - Aspect of Greed._

_8. Zommari Leroux - Aspect of Intoxication._

_7. Luppi - Aspect of Madness._

_6. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez - Aspect of Destruction._

_5. Ulquiorra Schiffer - Aspect of Nihilism._

_4. Barragan Luisenbarn - Aspect of Time._

_3. Nelliel Tu Oderschvank - Aspect of Sacrifice._

_2. Starrk - Aspect of Loneliness._

_1. Kurosaki Ichigo - Aspect of Life._

_That's it for another chapter, R&R!_


	11. Return and Retrieval

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach!

**drag0onsclaw:** I am not certain about that. What I and I pressume others as well, mean by a Segunda Etapa is in fact the second transformation Ulquiorra underwent. On the other hand if a Segunda Etapa exists for Arrancar hybrids it would be wise to assume that a Vaizard probably has such a form as well. So I suppose Ichigo's form must've been similar atleast, if not the same thing.

**'GRIMMtheBITCH'1:** That is something you'll have to read for yourself in this chapter.

**Grinja:** My plans for Momo will be made clear in due time. Perhaps this chapter, or perhaps not!

**Shigur3':** Hinamori has been wallowing in self-pity ever since Aizen has left. She has kept herself locked in her Division's quarters and hardly ever comes out except for the occassional meal.

**mlkoolc86:** Harribel sure seems to be a popular character with so many people asking about her, though I do understand. As for her rank, while I will not reveal her number I will assure you she will be one of the strongest Espada in Aizen's army.

**DarkJason: **1. While in Hueco Mundo Aizen doesn't actually intend to do anything with Momo but talk. That's all I'm going to say about that. And indeed Hitsugaya will not be happy.

I am rather happy that I finally managed to twist the story back into it's plot. I merely had to prepare a lot of things before I could actually do this but as of now we you can expect more variety in the story. I will no longer be forced to limit myself to writing scenes that happen in Las Noches only. So expect some Soul Society coming up as well.

**X009:** Aizen's goal is plain, simple and overused. He wants to rule the world by created the King's Key and taking up the 'unbearable vacancy of the throne in Heaven'.

Hollow follow him for a vast number of reasons. Some of them respect his fearlessness. Others want to fill the void in their Hollow soul. Others he promised to create a world where Hollow would not be hunted. Nonetheless all of these are lies. Aizen cares only about his own ambitions, even Ichigo is a merely tool created to succeed in his ambition.

I guess one could definitely consider him evil. But then again, viewing someone as evil is flawed at best. Aizen in the end, believes that what he is doing is right. He believes, no he knows, that Shinigami aren't as pure and good as they portray themselves to be either. I hope that answered that question.

Now about your comment concerning Ichigo's body. Yes, you are absolutely right and I was a fool not to think about that. I mistake on my part and one which I shall edit in the near future. Thanks for making me aware of this.

**RyumaOmega:** The truth is, that if we think logically, Hinamori shouldn't be of much use to Aizen, right? She may a Vice-Captain but she hardly compares to any of the Espada. What use would she be as a soldier? Nonetheless, I do have a use for her, which will be explained in the upcoming chapters. It is not exactly vital to the future plots however it is vital for Aizen's success.

**Chapter 10: Return and Retrieval.**

Ichigo and Rukia stood a couple of miles away from the edge of Western Rukongai after having just exited the _Garganta_ Ichigo created that would take them to Soul Society.

Just two hours ago Ichigo had received his final orders from Aizen as they went through the plan together along with Tousen and Ichimaru. It appeared as if Hinamori Momo was for reasons unknown to Ichigo a very important piece to Aizen. And so Ichigo had vowed to succeed in his task no matter how hard it may prove.

Aizen had informed Ichigo of the Fifth Division's Barracks as well as the Vice-Captain's and Captain's offices and quarters. Aizen didn't believe they would have appointed a new Captain to his old squad yet but had asked Ichigo to be wary of the possibility nonetheless.

He had warned Ichigo that while he should remain undetected for as long as possible it would practically be impossible to enter and exit Soul Society without being detected even once. The most important part for Ichigo would be to make sure that no Captains got to notice his presence before he was back in Hueco Mundo. But even this Aizen had told, would be hard to avoid, it might even be near impossible.

It was the main reason Aizen had explained why it had been Ichigo who had been sent. Ichigo had good control of his reiatsu and he could both conceal it well and sense other reiatsu signatures in the vicinity. Other then that it was Ichigo who had the best chances of coming out alive if he were to be confronted by one or even multiple Captains.

Another thing Aizen had made perfectly clear was that if his chances of getting out alive were drastically lowered by Hinamori's presence, he should abandon her and make sure he made it back to Las Noches alive. Ichigo just wasn't a piece Aizen could afford to lose. It was a risky move Aizen was making, but one that if it succeeded, could give him an edge in the upcoming war.

Just as Ichigo had been about to leave to get Rukia and get started with his mission Aizen had called him back. He gave him two neatly folded packages. Taking a closer look, Ichigo noticed that the first package actually contained a Shinigami's _sihakusyou_ along with a pair of sandals and a white scarf that was generally worn only by high-ranked nobles which was supposed to cover his Espada tattoo. Even though Soul Society was not aware of the meaning of these tattoo's yet, if they found out and remembered Ichigo's they'd immediately be aware of who held the title of number one in Aizen's army. Aizen liked surprises and so he prefered to keep that information away from Soul Society as long as he could.

The second package on the other hand contained a simple black cloak with a hood. Confused Ichigo had looked at Aizen for an explanation. Aizen explained that back when he had been found out experimenting with hollowfication, Urahara had worn a cloak that completely hid all of his reiatsu. Aizen, while confident in Ichigo's ability to hide his own reiatsu knew he could not supress the Hollow feel to it. And so he had Szayel make a handful of these cloaks weeks ago.

And now Ichigo walked here along with Rukia near the outer edge of the Rukongai. He had yet to tell her about her part in the mission and he was dreading that conversation already. However it was time to stop stalling as they had almost reached the edge of Western Rukongai.

"Rukia, hold on," Ichigo spoke up.

Turning around, she looked at him with a confused expression. Basically signifying for him to let her know why they had to stop.

"There's something I-" He started but he was cut off as Rukia spoke up.

"I'm not stupid, Ichigo. I'm well aware of the fact that Aizen wouldn't have released me for nothing. I suspect you have another reason for being in Soul Society."

Sighing, he nodded. "You should know though that I pressed for your release and Aizen-sama agreed on the condition that I completed a mission in Soul Society while I was there."

Rukia smiled at him lightly. "I know Ichigo. I never doubted _you._ It's just that I don't want people to die merely for my safe return."

Now it was Ichigo's turn to smile. "Then I suspect you'll be happy to know that I'm not here to kill anyone nor do I intend to. I cannot tell you my mission's details but I swear to you that I will not take a single life tonight."

Relief could be seen etched into the features of Rukia's face. She smiled at him and nodded. Letting him know that if that was the case she'd help him if she had to.

As Rukia turned around to continue walking however Ichigo grabbed her by the shoulders and put his arms around her. "Promise me, Rukia," He started. "Promise that you'll grow strong. This war will take lives, countless lives. Promise me that you'll grow strong enough to survive this war one way or another." He pleaded to her.

Rukia's eyes widened at the level of emotional display coming from Ichigo. He didn't often show _this_ much emotion to anyone. Before she could reply to him however he continued again.

"Start training as soon as you are up to full strength again. If you want to stand a chance at all if you ever run into an Espada you will have to train as if your life depends on it. Attain your Bankai and you might stand a chance against the lower ranked ones. But even with Bankai, if you run into a number below five, Rukia. Run. Run as fast as your legs can carry you, run as if the devil is on your doorstep. Run and cling to life Rukia, for any number below five means certain death." Ichigo stated sadly.

Rukia wanted to be angry at him for even insinuating that she run. She was no coward. She knew Ichigo was right ofcourse. But damn it all she knew Ichigo only said this for her own safety. For now she'd agree, but she would train as Ichigo told her to and she _would_ attain Bankai. And once she had become stronger she would fight and end this war while making sure Ichigo too, lived through it. That was her vow, and she intended to keep it.

Nodding her agreement she felt Ichigo unwrap his arms around her. "_Arrigatou_, Rukia. Thanks for everything and I sincerely hope our next meeting will not be anytime soon. Live well."

Before Rukia could even react to his words she felt a blinding pain in the back of her neck and her eyes closed as her world went black.

Sighing Ichigo picked her up bridal style and silently thought he was glad he wouldn't be around when she woke up. She _so_ would've kicked his ass for doing that.

=0=

Fifteen minutes later Ichigo arrived dressed in his Shinigami's _sihakusyou_ with his reaitsu conceiling cloak hidden beneath his _sihakusyou_, before the giant sleeping gatekeeper that was according to Aizen, named Jidanbou. With his reiatsu hidden as best as he could manage on his own he appeared in front of the giant gatekeeper.

"Jidanbou-san! Jidanbou-san!" Ichigo tried to appear panicked, and he realized he wasn't too good at it.

"I just returned from a mission in the forest at the outskirts of Rukongai when I found my cousin lying in the middle of a clearing. She's the one who was kidnapped when the traitorous Captains left Soul Society. I need to take her to Kuchiki-_taicho_ right away!" He yelled in feign panic.

Jidanbou meanwhile, stared at the Shinigami in front of him, barely awake. Admittedly he had barely been able to make out the words the Shinigami had spoken. Having just been woken from his sleep and all. One thing however he did notice. It was the face of Kuchiki Rukia, her prone body held in the Shinigami's arms, craddled to his chest. Jidanbou ofcourse recognized her as she was the adopted sister of the heir of the Kuchiki Clan, Kuchiki Byakuya. Jidanbou also knew that she was taken to Hueco Mundo along with the three traitorous Captains.

"Jidanbou-san! You have to let me in, I need to take Rukia-san to Kuchiki-_taicho_!"

This time he did understand what he was saying. Jidanbou realised this was an emergency and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Kuchiki Byakuya's Zanpakutou either. Quickly making up his mind he turned around and lifted the gate only a little bit, just enough for the Shinigami to pass through who yelled his thanks as he passed the gatekeeper.

=0=

When Ichigo heard the gate slam shut behind him he instantly put down Rukia's prone form against the wall next to the gate. Reaching into his _sihakusyou_ he grabbed the cloak, unfolded it, threw it around his body and put the hood over his head.

Picking up Rukia's form again he began to make his way over to the Fifth Division Grounds.

Ichigo had to admit this cloak was absolutely genius. No one had come looking for him yet since he started wearing this cloak. At the same time he could still easily locate the Shinigami patrolling closeby and make his way around them or just merely wait untill they passed.

As it were it only took him ten minutes to reach the entrance of the Fifth Division Grounds. Silently he whispered a few words before continuing.

"_Bakudo #26 - Kyakko"_

It was a _Kidou _Aizen had taught him this very afternoon. Generally it wasn't too useful when there was no light around however the Fifth Division Grounds had lanterns positioned around every few yards. As long as he kept focusing his reiatsu on keeping the _Kidou_ active he could bend any source of light around him so as to hide himself from view. It was kind off ironic, staying in the light to remain undetected. Though he had to admit he was more afraid of Rukia regaining consciousness while he was still around then he was of being detected.

Making sure to stay in the light he quietly made his way towards the Vice-Captain's quarters. He only hoped his target would be there. If Aizen had been correct however his former Vice-Captain had likely kept herself hidden away from society ever since Aizen's leaving. He only hoped the man had been right, he couldn't afford to have to search for her all over Seireitei.

Having finally arrived at the Vice-Captain's quarters he silently slid open the door and entered the room. Instantly he dropped the _Kidou_ again. There wasn't even a source of light in this room anyway as it was completely dark. Besides, it was impossible to focus enough to keep both the _Kidou_ active and sensing for nearby reiatsu signatures while at the same time making his way through the maze that was the Fifth Division's Grounds.

Taking a closer look around the room he noticed it looked as if it hadn't been properly cleaned for at the very least a month. As he scanned the room further he could see a figure sitting huddled on the ground, with her back against the wall. He noticed she was holding a picture under her arms. A picture in which she was displayed at the side of her beloved Aizen-_taicho._

Taking a closer look at the person sitting against the wall he noticed she was wearing her standard Shinigami _sihakusyou_ her dark hair was pulled into a bun held in a tied cloth. A Vice-Captain's badge with what he presumed was the 5th Division's insignia was tied to her left arm.

Walking over to the empty bed in the room he gently put Rukia down and pulled the covers over her prone form. When he was done he walked over to the girl who should be Hinamori Momo and pressed his hand against her mouth so as to prevent her from screaming when she woke.

Gently grabbing her by the shoulder with his other arm he shook her awake. As her eyes snapped open they instantly revealed a panicked expression. He quickly held his finger to his mouth, hoping to prevent her from starting to struggle.

"Hinamori Momo," He said quietly, "Aizen-sama has need of your services. I have been sent to retrieve you. Will you come peacefully?"

As he finished his sentence her eyes started trembling and tears were seen leaking out. Ichigo could see the hopeful expression that shone brightfully in her teary eyes.

Despite the fact that his hand was covering her mouth he was sure a bright smile had formed on her face as she nodded vigorously.

"I will now remove my hand, do not under any circumstances make any loud noises. Talk if you want, but quietly." He told the girl who nodded again.

Removing his hand he was proven right as a wide smile covered her face. Tears still leaking from her trembling eyes.

"Aizen_-taicho_ needs me? He has sent for me?" She asked him, both determination and hope resounding in her voice.

He nodded at her once. "I am here to take you to Aizen-sama however if we encounter any other Shinigami at all you _must_ under any and all circumstances act as if you are being kidnapped, do you understand?"

She looked confused for a second but nonetheless she nodded that she understood and would play her part.

He reached out his hand to her and she instantly grabbed it. As he pulled her up he threw her over his shoulder and reactivated the _Kidou_ that would hide his presence while in the light. He made his way towards the door and slid it open before silently slipping out.

As he left the Vice-Captain's quarters and turned to the right however, Hinamori instantly started screaming as if her life depended on it. Turning his head around he could see a group of four Shinigami standing behind him, looking at Hinamori with a panicked expression in their eyes, they instantly dashed off.

_'Shit! Damn that Kidou! I would've sensed them coming if I hadn't have to focus on keeping the bloody Kidou active,'_ Ichigo thought. He instantly decided to drop the _Kidou_ and as he started searching around for reiatsu signatures he noticed the Shinigami in their sleeping quarters were waking up and making their way outside.

All of this had happened in but a moment. His entire mission could be ruined if he didn't get out of here in time. As he thought this alarm bells started ringing all around the Fifth Division Grounds and he realised he'd wasted way too much time waiting around.

Instantly he dashed off, no longer bothering to be subtle about it. Using his speed to his advantage he dashed past any Shinigami on his way to the exit of the Division Grounds. They merely got a chance to look at him as he raced through the gates marking the end of the Fifth Division's property.

=0=

Meanwhile in a small hut on the Fifth Division Grounds sat a lone Shinigami drawing symbols on her arms at an impressive speed. When she finished she instantly shot her arms forward and a square-like figure made of _Kidou _appeared in mid-air, at which point she started a long chant.

_"Net of black and white, Twenty-two bridges, Sixty-six vestments, Footprints, Distant Thunder, Mountain peaks, spinning ground, night crouching, cloudy sea, Blue ranks, Fill the great circle and dash across the heavens!"_

When she finished speaking the chant the square figure started to glow in an ethereal blue light.

_"Bakudou #77 - Tentei Kuura!"_

Thinking of the people she wanted to reach with this message she closed her eyes and visualized their faces before opening her eyes again.

"Captains and Vice-Captains of Soul Society. This is Fugunaga Aiko speaking. _Gobantai-fukutaicho[1]_ Hinamori Momo has been kidnapped by an unknown intruder. Said intruder is heading from the exit of the Fifith Division Grounds in the direction of Seireitei's western gate. Fifth Division's pursuit squads are currently following the intruder but request immediate assistance."

Those were the words that woke every Captain and Vice-Captain in Soul Society and alarmed them of the situation.

=0=

_Juubantai-taicho[2]_ Hitsugaya Toushirou was dashing across the rooftops of Seireitei making his way towards the western gate. He'd still been awake working on some reports when the emergency call from Fifth Division had come in.

He'd instantly rushed out of his office after grabbing _Hyourinmaru_ and strapping it on his back. Hinamori had been kidnapped. And if Hitsugaya had a say in the matter the person who did this would pay for it dearly. Those were the thoughts rushing through Hitsugaya's head as he was rapidly approaching the west gate.

=0=

_Nibantai-taicho[3] _Soifon was currently making her way out of the Second Division's Grounds. She'd just about finished the paperwork she usually had no time to complete overday, when the emergency call was made.

She'd instantly rushed out of the door to make her way in the direction of the west gate. How dare this intruder? Whoever he was he must've been good. To infiltrate the Seireitei unnoticed right under their noses. They were lucky he had been caught before he had escaped. Because that's what Soifon knew it was, luck on their part and bad luck on the intruder's part.

=0=

As Ichigo reached the west gate he instantly knew something was wrong. Sensing a reiatsu signature approaching from behind him he instantly turned around and raised his hand just in time to block a vertical slice to what would have been his chest.

Looking down towards his opponent Ichigo could see a short white-haired kid standing in front of him, dressed in the standard shinigami _sihakusyou _with a Captain's _haori _worn on top of it.

Just as Hitsugaya was about to open his mouth, Ichigo beat him to it.

"_Juubantai-taicho_ Hitsugaya Toushirou. Youngest child genius in Soul Society's history. Nice to meet you."

Hitsugaya's eyes visibly widened at this. Jumping back he got in a battle stance, preparing to show the intruder why he was called the youngest child genius in Soul Society's history exactly.

Ichigo for his part merely put the by now silently sobbing Hinamori down. Boy she was one hell of an actor. Ichigo reckoned he should take some lessons from her, remembering his performance in front of Jidanbou just a little less then thirty minutes ago.

Locking eyes with Hinamori he gave her a meaninful look. One Hitsugaya couldn't possibly see with Ichigo's back turned to him.

"_Bakudou #61 - Rikujyoukourou."_

As the six rods of light slammed into Hinamori's waist she cried out in pain. Ichigo inwardly shrugged, have to keep up appearances after all.

Removing his gaze from Hinamori he instantly dissapeared in a buzz of _sonido_, reappearing on Hitsugaya's left he aimed a sidewards kick to his head. Hitsugaya, anticipating the move, quickly ducked under it causing the intruder's foot to fly over his head and said man almost lost his footing. Deciding to take advantage of his opponents momentary inbalance he thrust _Hyourinmaru_ towards the intruder's unprotected side only for the man to jump up, turning in mid-air and landing on Hitsugaya's blade before kneeing him in the face.

Before Hitsugaya even had a chance to react he felt a hand wrap around his wrist and a moment later he was flying through the air and crashed into the solid wall of a building close to the west gate.

Ichigo meanwhile, had been unimpressed so far by the child prodigy. However admittedly he made Ichigo lose his footing, even though that was mainly his fault for going for such an obvious course of action. He was brought out of his musings by a loud voice yelling from the building's rubble.

_"Soten ni zase, Hyourinmaru!"_

Ichigo was aware of every Captain's Shikai and most of their Bankai's and so he was prepared for what came next. He instantly rushed forward charging at the giant ice dragon and at the last possible moment he jumped upwards intending to run along the length of the dragon towards it's wielder. There was one thing however that he hadn't considered. The air around the ice dragon was so cold his feet almost froze to the serpent's body the moment he landed on it. He instantly jumped off to the side and continued to rush towards his destination.

Hitsugaya who had noticed his approach by now readied his blade and swung it down towards Ichigo's head in a vertical slice as soon as he got close enough.

Ichigo, meanwhile, just smirked. His hand shot out instantly and grabbed a hold of the blade which he noticed was extremely cold. He pulled back his left hand and prepared to pierce Hitsugaya's ribs with it.

Just as he was about to strike however he felt a foreign object impact with his head and he was sent flying into the building opposite of the one Hitsugaya had crashed into.

"So, I was right," Soifon's voice rang out, as if talking to herself.

At Hitsugaya's questioning glance however she shrugged. "It's nothing."

Her thoughts at the time however were everything but nothing. The intruder was about to finish off the _juubantai-taicho_ and he doesn't look like he's even got a single scratch on his body.

"He's a tough opponent," Hitsugaya's voice rang out from behind her. "So far he's been dominating the battle and he hasn't even drawn his sword yet. He's been showing some weird abilities though. Blocking sword strikes with his arm, grabbing my sword in his hand. He never even received a papercut."

Hitsugaya admitted, he appeared rather ashamed of himself. And rightfully so, Soifon believed. A Soul Society Captain dominated by a man who hadn't even drawn his sword.

On the other hand. Soifon wasn't stupid, he must be one tough opponent if he had Hitsugaya pushed into a corner without much visible effort like that.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as a buzzing sound could be heard behind her and a voice whispered in her.

"_Nibantai-taicho_ and Commander-in-chief of the Secret Mobile Corps, Soifon."

Soifon's eyes widened briefly but she instantly turned around with a roundhouse kick displaying speed that could only be attained by years of hard work. The intruder in turn blocked her kick with a single raised arm. Unsheathing his sword with his other hand he quickly blocked the incoming attack of Hitsugaya's _Hyourinmaru _and grabbed a hold of a Soifon's wrist so as not to allow her to escape before kicking her violently in the stomach and sending her flying.

Locking eyes with Hitsugaya who was attempting to push him back he smirked. Hitsugaya in turn roared in anger.

"What do you want with Hinamori!?" He shouted, furiously.

"I? I have no interest in her. My master on the other hand, does." Ichigo replied.

Hitsugaya instantly send a combination of thrusts and swings at Ichigo which he neatly blocked with his own Zanpakutou. Ichigo however never knew what hit him as the chain of Hitsugaya's _Hyourinmaru_ wrapped around his legs causing them to freeze to the ground instantly. Before he even had a chance to react Hitsugaya's blade swung down at him once more, forcing him to block while a voice behind him rang out.

"_Jinteki Shakusetsu, Suzumebachi."_

Ichigo's eyes widened at this. He knew what that weapon could potentially do to him and judging by the distance of her voice she was pretty close by.

He started chanting as he turned to look around. He instantly saw Soifon right behind him with her _Suzumebachi_ mere inches from his back. Quickly positioning his index and middle finger in her stomach he finished the chant.

_"Hadou #1 - Shou."_

As these words left his mouth an invisible force seemed to shoot Soifon back in the direction she came from causing her to crash into the western wall. Focusing his attention back to Hitsugaya he was just in time to see _Hyourinmaru_ approaching him and he once more grabbed a hold of the cold blade. Instantly realizing this battle was proving much harder then he thought he vowed to stop holding back and quickly made a vertical swing down Hitsugaya's left shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain before yanking his arm from Ichigo's grip and jumping back.

Ichigo meanwhile noticed several other well-above-average reiatsu signatures approach his position. Realizing he couldn't possibly leave here with the two of them still on his tail he was forced to improvise. For even he couldn't fight these two Captains including the other approaching reiatsu signatures all at once. Not without releasing.

Dissapearing with a loud buzzing sound he reappeared next to Hinamori and released her from the binding _Kidou._ Before anyone could even react to this he threw Hinamori in the air and started a short chant again.

_"Bakudou #37 - Tsuriboshi."_

A net of _Kidou_ instantly formed in mid-air and attached itself to the nearby towers of Seireitei. Moving up, Ichigo reapplied the binding _Kidou_ to Hinamori and held his position in mid-air as he waited for either Hitsugaya, Soifon, or preferably both to charge at him.

As if all his prayers had been answered Soifon reappeared besides Hitsugaya, breathing heavily. Both seemed aware of the fact that reinforcements were arriving and believed they'd merely have to stall for a short while. Locking eyes and nodding at one another, they charged.

However as soon as they went airborne, Ichigo smirked.

"_Bakudou #73 - Tozansho."_

A large inverted pyramid-shaped barrier formed in mid-air. Ichigo had put a lot of reiatsu into this so as to make sure they had atleast _some _room inside the barrier, sadly though there was a limit as to how big you could make it. Both Soifon, Hitsugaya, Ichigo and Hinamori were all trapped inside the pyramid now.

=0=

Hisagi Shuuhei, Kira Izuru and Abarai Renji were quickly making their way towards the west gate where they'd received word the intruder should be heading.

Not long ago they'd sensed Hitsugaya_-taicho_ engage the enemy and not much later Soifon_-taicho_ had apparently joined him. Two Captains fighting together against a common enemy was rare but all three Vice-Captains had felt the reiatsu signatures of both Hitsugaya and Soifon were slowly decreasing and while the intruder's certainly had lost more so far, he also seemed to have more left.

Noticing two familiar reiatsu signatures approach them they were quickly joined by Kyouraku Shunsui and Ukitake Juushirou _Hachibantai[4]_ and _Juusanbantai-taicho[5]_ respectively.

The three Vice-Captains locked eyes with their superiors once before nodding and continuing to make their way towards the west gate.

=0=

Hitsugaya roared in anger as he noticed they were stuck inside the pyramid and any large scale attacks could possibly harm Hinamori.

Ichigo however had no such problems as he dashed towards the young Shinigami-Captain and kicked out towards his side causing Hitsugaya blocked to raise his blade vertically at his side to block the kick.

Ichigo taking advantage of the opening quickly thrust his sword in the direction of Hitsugaya's chest. The young prodigy in turn ducked diagonally to the side, causing the blade to pass over his shoulder.

As Ichigo saw Hitsugaya make another thrusting motion with his sword he felt Soifon approach from behind him and with speed that was unrivaled among all Espada he quickly _sonido'_d behind her and grabbed her by the shoulders before pushing her forward causing her to be stabbed in the stomach by Hitsugaya's _Hyourinmaru. _

Her eyes widened but no sound came out of her mouth as the sword pierced her, looking down she could see the sword impaling her and continuing her gaze in the direction of the young Captain she looked him in the eyes, a look of horror was etched in the very features of his face.

=0=

This was the scene that greeted the three Vice-Captains and two Captains when they arrived at the west gate. A large inverted pyramid shaped barrier had been formed in the air and in the middle of it three figures could be seen fighting.

Inside, at the very tip of the barrier a net of _Kidou_ seemed to have been extended. The thick strings holding the net in place connected to four of the larger towers of around the west gate, said strings seemingly passed through the barrier as if it wasn't even there.

However just as the five of them attempted to break down the barrier by attacking it together their eyes went wide at the scene they were looking upon. Inside the barrier, Hitsugaya Toushirou his blade had somehow ended up piercing Soifon's stomach. As they looked at Hitsugaya's horror-stricken look they couldn't help but feel sorry for the young Captain.

=0=

As Ichigo looked down upon the young Captain in front of him he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Having the force of your thrust used against you in such a way could hardly be a pleasant surprise. Then again, the truth was that these two did _not _work together well. They probably would've been harder to beat if they had each come at him individually.

Deciding to end the young prodigy's misery and completing his mission. He aimed to move a quick slice vertically over the boy's chest but as he was about to strike he noticed Hitsugaya's expression of horror turn to one of anger. Ichigo instantly let go of the unconscious body of the _nibantai_-taicho and jumped back so as to create some distance inbetween himself and the child genius.

The white-haired Captain looked him in the face with a furious expression etched into his very features. Looking in his face Ichigo knew that if he didn't end this quickly the young Captain would do something rash soon.

_"Bankai,"_ His silent voice rang out. That one word seemed to repeat itself forever in Ichigo's mind. An explosion of ice shot out from Hitsugaya and started circling around him at a rapid speed. As the ice started dissipating again it could be seen to slowly form two gigantic wings on the small Captain's back. Hitsugaya's sword arm was encased in a large dragon's head and his remaining hand and feet were covered in ice as well, making them look like claws. The last remaining addition to this was a long dragon's tail that fell down behind Hitsugaya. _"Daiguren Hyourinmaru!"_

Ichigo could only look at the prodigious Captain in awe. So this was a Bankai. It looked truly impressive, Ichigo had to admit. Looking up, Ichigo took notice of the fact that Hinamori was still bound above him, Ichigo would have to be careful so as not to injure her. It seemed Hitsugaya's anger was clouding his mind as he didn't seem to be worried about it.

Ichigo locked eyes with Hitsugaya and smirked. Causing the Captain ro roar in anger and charge at Ichigo recklessly. Swinging their swords above their heads they instantly locked blades the moment they got close enough. As Ichigo started to push further towards Hitsugaya he lashed out with his tail of ice forcing him to jump back. Hitsugaya instantly took advantage of the distance and swung his sword at Ichigo causing a huge dragon of ice to be released from the tip which instantly charged at Ichigo.

Ichigo meanwhile, was having trouble finding a way out of his current predicament. This barrier was starting to obstruct his movements more then Hitsugaya's now that he'd released his Bankai. He soon ran out of options as the huge dragon crashed itself into Ichigo forcing him through the barrier and thus breaking it.

Ice was scattered everywhere on impact and Hitsugaya had to close his eyes for but a second. The second he opened his eyes again his eyes went wide because of a stinging pain in his abdomen. Looking down he saw it had been impaled by a sword and looking over at the wielder he looked straight into the face of the intruder. Though said man no longer held that annoying smirk on his face. He was breathing heavily and the cloak he had been wearing was torn to pieces, revealing a Shinigami's _sihakusyou_ which was just as torn as the cloak. That wasn't the most surprising thing Hitsugaya noticed however, no, it was the _Hollow hole_ right in the middle of the man's chest. Hitsugaya's eyes widened briefly before he looked the man in the eyes once more. His vision slowly dissipating and as his Bankai shattered Hitsugaya, too, lost consciousness.

Looking down, Ichigo saw the faces of the two Captains who had caught Hitsugaya and Soifon more clearly. They were currently checking on their injured comrades but there was no mistake about their identity. Ukitake Juushirou and Kyouraku Shunsui, two of the oldest and most powerful Captains in all of Soul Society. Aizen had told him a lot about them. One thing Ichigo remembered in particular was the fact that Aizen had not managed to find out anything about their Bankai's, making him believe that they hadn't used it for atleast a hundred years.

"Who are you?!" Ukitake asked him, his voice calm.

Ichigo remained silent.

Perhaps that had been the wrong thing to do as both Ukitake and Kyouraku made a move to unsheathe their Zanpakutou. Ichigo couldn't let it get that far though. He had to make his getaway _now_, before more people showed up.

Cutting his middle finger on the blade of his Zanpakutou he sheathed it before holding out his bleeding hand. He grabbed the wrist of the other hand before locking eyes with both remaining Captains.

_"_My name, Ukitake Juushirou, Kyouraku Shunsui, is Kurosaki Ichigo." He exclaimed, after a seemingly unstable ball of blue energy started to form in his palm.

Ukitake's and Kyouraku's eyes widened as they yelled for their comrades to get away while picking up the prone bodies of the other two Captains before speeding off themselves.

_"Gran Rey Cero!"_

Those were the three words that Ichigo shouted out as he unleashed the technique in the centre of the plaza in front of the west gate. Dust and debris obscured him from vision as he swung Hinamori Momo over his shoulder and made his escape.

=0=

When Ukitake and Kyouraku returned to the scene after realising the attack had not been fired at them but had been used as a diversion their eyes widened at the destruction caused by the attack.

Entire rows of houses had been demolished to the ground and absolutely nothing was left of the actual plaza. It had become nothing more then a crater full of sand.

Looking over towards the gate they saw one large hole inside of it, at the other end of the hole they could just make out a _Garganta_ closing. They realized now that they were too late. The intruder, along with Hinamori Momo, had escaped.

=0=

Aizen sat in his throne room, Gin and Kaname at his sides. All of the Espada were seated at a table not far away from him. They were awaiting the return of the _Primera _Espada. Aizen reckoned Ichigo had to have run into some trouble considering that he had not yet returned. He only hoped his most prized soldier would return. Even for him a mission such as this could prove fatal if he ran into the wrong people.

Looking over at his Espada most he could see were bored beyond belief. Luppi had an annoyed expression on his face. But what Aizen found the most intriguing was the worried expression on Nelliel's face. He had known Nelliel and Ichigo were close, remarkably so for Hollow but he had always wondered to what extent exactly. It appeared the _Primera_ was very dear to Nelliel, Hollow didn't often look worried, as a matter of fact Aizen didn't think he'd ever seen a Hollow worried except perhaps in a losing battle. Aizen was curious if Ichigo felt the same way about the _Tercera_.

He was broken out of his thoughts as the doors to his throne room creaked upon slowly being opened. Two figures made their way through the doors. One was limping, a sure sign that he had obviously been in battle recently, his clothing was completely torn which exposed his chest almost completely. Kurosaki Ichigo had returned to Las Noches and next to him the figure of Hinamori Momo could be identified.

A loud crashing sound could be heard over at the Espada's table and as Aizen turned his head around to look at the source of the sudden noise he saw Nelliel dissapear in a buzz of _sonido_ before reappearing next to Ichigo and throwing his arm around her shoulder to support him.

Meanwhile, Hinamori was staring at Aizen in morbid fascination. Was this the same Aizen that had left Soul Society a few months ago? He looked so different, yet completely the same, she thought. Her mouth opened and she spoke the words without even realising it, it was like second nature to her by now. _"_Aizen_-taicho_..."

Aizen smiled at her and she returned his smile with one of her own. Her eyes shone with happiness she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Hinamori," Aizen said, with a caring tone in his voice,"We shall talk later, Hinamori. It appears I need to tend to a wounded friend of mine first. Please, allow Kaname to escort you to your quarters. I will meet you there shortly." He smiled at her as he said this.

If possible Hinamori's smile got even wider as she nodded vigorously and turned to follow Tousen.

After Hinamori and Tousen had left the room Aizen turned his gaze back to Ichigo who was by now sitting on the ground and leaning against Nelliel. This, Aizen found interesting, it appeared his prodigy did feel the same way after all. It wasn't like him to display any sort of emotion in public normally which must mean his mission probably wasn't as easy as he thought it would be.

Taking a closer look as if to inspect Ichigo Aizen noticed a couple of things. While his clothing was torn and ragged the ends actually looked like they had broken off. At the same time there were large red spots that could be spotted all over the exposed parts of his skin. They could signify either minor burns or cases of extreme cold. Taking both his discoveries into account Aizen believed he must've ran into Hitsugaya.

"Ichigo," Aizen said. "I'm glad to see you have returned alive, though I dare say not exactly in one peace. But the truth is that was to be expected." Aizen admitted. "Will you make your report to us, Ichigo?"

Ichigo in the meantime was still breathing rather unevenly. He was cold, very cold. The attack from Hitsugaya's Bankai had been something he had been unable to avoid. He'd made the barrier as large as he could but having a gigantic ice dragon fly at you from such a short range isn't something you can easily dodge. In the end he had taken the blast willingly so as to make Hitsugaya drop his guard and thus allow Ichigo to get a hit in. He hadn't felt much pain then, the blast had hurt but he didn't think it was this bad. It must've been the thrill of battle, he supposed he had merely ignored the pain subconsciously.

He was glad he had managed to make a clean getaway though. Thinking back on it he wondered why he hadn't done that earlier. But the truth was that he knew why. He _wanted_ to fight those Captains. Although admittedly the second one had come unexpected and had caught him by surprise. When the battle had continued after her appearance Ichigo had gotten completely swallowed up by the thrill of it. It had been fun and he had loved every second of it. He realised he had been wanting to test himself for a while now.

However when his battle with the two Captains was over and he noticed just who exactly were standing in front of him he knew he couldn't win this. Even if he released he probably would've lost against the two of them at once, though he couldn't be certain. Nonetheless reinforcements could've showed and that was not to mention the three Vice-Captains that were already there. Kira Izuru, Ichimaru's old Vice-Captain. Hisagi Shuuhei, Tousen's old Vice-Captain. And Abarai Renji, the man who had, along with Kuchiki Byakuya, forcefully removed Rukia from the real world.

He was rather surprised when he found that his pathetic excuse of an escape plan had actually worked. He wondered where he could have possibly thought of such a pathetic plan. '_Come on, Ichigo! Let's take the biggest and most flashy blast you got. Fire it wherever it'll cause the most destruction and then run!'_ Ichigo assumed that must've been close to what he must've been thinking at the time. '_Tch, pathetic.'_

_"A-Ah."_ Ichigo started. And so he went on to explain how his mission had gone. How he had gotten into the Seireitei with the sorry excuse of having found Rukia, the Shinigami who was captured by Aizen Sousuke, lying in a forest clearing. Grimmjow actually laughed maniacally at the stupidity of the western gatekeeper.

Next he went on to explain how he had infiltrated the Fifth Division Grounds and made his way towards the Vice-Captain's quarters. Arriving there he had put Rukia in Hinamori's bed so as not to arouse suspicion had Rukia been found somewhere on the streets.

Hinamori had decided to come willingly and even seemed glad to do so. He then explained how they had been spotted after leaving her quarters and how he'd made his way towards the west gate.

Arriving there he had instantly been engaged by Hitsugaya and next, Soifon. He quickly went over the fight, mentioning the fact that he lured both Captains inside of a barrier when he felt other reiatsu signatures move closer to their locations. Inside the barrier he managed to get rid of Soifon's interference but at this point Hitsugaya had released his Bankai. The space inside the barrier had been too small and he had been forced to take an attack from Hitsugaya in his Bankai, head on. Next he'd used Hitsugaya's dropped guard to his advantage to finish the fight.

He finished his report by telling him how he had caused a 'minor' distraction to ensure his safe getaway. When leaving Seireitei's barriers and arriving in Rukongai he quickly made a _Garganta_ and retreated back to Las Noches.

Aizen in the meantime looked at his _Primera_ with a sense of fascination. He had managed to beat both Hitsugaya and Soifon in a two versus one battle. Hitsugaya wasn't hailed for being the youngest child genius in Soul Society's history for nothing. Nor was Soifon the Commander-in-chief of the Secret Mobile Corps without a reason. Both of these Captains were well above the level of an average one. Ichigo had beaten them both without even releasing. Provided, Soifon hadn't used her Bankai, but Aizen knew she disliked using it. Forcing her to bring it out was never easy.

Aizen smiled at his number one soldier. "You have done well, Ichigo. _Arrigatou._" Aizen said. Causing the eyes of everyone in the room to widen. It wasn't often that Aizen openly thanked someone. Ichigo however was still breathing unevenly and was having a hard time standing up. Aizen decided a long rest was in order. "I'm glad you returned safely. Now go and rest."

Those were the last words Ichigo and Nel needed. Throwing his arm around Nel's shoulder once again she grabbed him by the waist and they started moving towards his quarters together.

=0=

**[1]Gobantai-fukutaicho** : Fifth Division Vice-Captain

**[2]Juubantai-taicho **: Tenth Division Captain

**[3]Nibantai-taicho **: Second Division Captain

**[4]Hachibantai-taicho** : Eight Division Captain

**[5]Juusanbantai-taicho** : Thirteenth Division Captain

=0=

_And another chapter done. I definitely had a lot of fun writing this chapter and it took a lot less time then I had imagined it would._

_Next chapter you'll find most of the answers to the questions you are probably asking yourself right now. But I felt that had I included that in this chapter as well it would've become a 'little' too long!_

_I also thought it to be appropriate that I inform you of the fact that in a little over a week I will be going on a holiday. Thus during that time you won't have to expect any updates for a little more then two weeks. But not to worry I'm still around for about a week and if I keep up the pace I have set for myself up untill now that should mean you'll get to see a couple of new chapters before we get to that point!_

_Lastly please, once more, read and review! Even though I might not answer to each and every review posted I would like to tell you that I appreciate each and every one of them and they inspire me to keep the updates coming as fast as possible._


	12. Revelations

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach!

**mlkoolc86:** Yes, you're right on the Bakudou indeed. And that after I double-checked if I had the right one twice. Thanks for that observation I'll make sure to edit it as soon as possible.

And as for the questions about Harribel. I don't mind at all, it was merely an observation that a lot of people seemed to be interested in her part in my story.

**DarkJason:** It appears you're right about the Shihakusho. I actually literally copied the way I wrote it untill now from a subbed Episode in which it actually was spelled as Sihakusyou. Nonetheless I'll be sure to write it correctly from now and when I find the time or perhaps more importantly the mood for it I will edit the other ones as well. Thank you for pointing that out.

And no that isn't something you will find out in the next chapter. In fact there are a lot of things you won't find in the next chapter actually. I originally intended to put far more information in it then I currently have but I changed my mind. It still contains information, don't get me wrong on that but I haven't revealed as much as I originally planned to. As for your original question though, right now I do believe that Inoue Orihime will be captured at one point or another. I might change my mind but I do not believe that likely as it would completely throw around the way I have my story planned out currently.

**Grinja:** True, my interpretation of Aizen has been nicer then it originally was in Canon. However one thing you can be certain of is that his malicious and manipulative nature hasn't changed in the slightest.

As for Hinamori, that is one of the things that will be revealed in this chapter.

**Komusai Matakatana:** Let me start off with thanking you for a very nice review. It is always rewarding to read how the effort you put into writing a story is appreciated.

Next I'd like to mention that deviating of the original plot in an anime is something that I personally appreciate in the stories I've chose to read myself so far. I do believe that some events should remain as they are important not only to the development of a story but often too for the development of the individual characters.

I can tell you that I am pretty sure that right now I am not even halfway into the story so the end should be quite a long way off. I might even go as far as to say that I have only just passed a third but it's hard to judge even for me because while I do have a rough outlining of how I want the story to progress and even end I have no definite idea of how the story will progress a few chapters from here. I am constantly adapting and changing how my story will progress.

Now on your last point. I can promise that at the very least every single one of the original Espada will be revealed. I will even go as far as to include the majority of their Fracción, most likely all of them. Other then that I currently am inclined to have the Privaron Espada make their appearance as well when the time comes.

**Barranca:** You make some valid points. As for Harribel, I won't tell who she will replace when she does make her inevitable appearance but I can tell you that I believe it might surprise some people when the time comes.

**MKTerra: **Yep, you're absolutely right. Soul Society wouldn't be that stupid at all. This, I too, realized. But the truth is I believed this was the closest I could get to making it seem realistic, considering that it was only a single individual infiltrating it after all.

As for the slow pacing, I'm afraid that's something any reader of this story will simply have to deal with because it is simply the way I write things. I never liked stories that progressed too far in too few time and I guess it's only logical this shows in my own story.

Now as for Harribel. Perhaps if I dressed in a big white sweater with jeans, give her an A-cup and a cute pearly-white skin people will instead start to ask me NOT to include her in the story! Then again, what fun would that be now?

**Voltair27:** My original reasons for putting it under M would be gore. With people that have limbs torn off, decapitations and generally a lot of blood I believed it appropriate. On the other hand another reason I rated it as M was because I didn't want to risk giving a rating that wasn't high enough. Considering this is my first story I will honestly admit that I am not too sure about what rating would be the most appropriate myself.

**Chapter 11: Revelations.**

Hinamori Momo was sitting in the private quarters Tousen had assigned her. Right now she was quietly waiting for her beloved Aizen_-taicho_ to visit her.

She could hardly believe that just yesterday she had still been locked up in her room. Refusing to believe that Aizen-_taicho_ had betrayed Soul Society and had discarded her completely. She knew none of it was true, there was something more going on here she was sure. Aizen_-taicho_ was the most kind and gentle man she had ever known and he would not betray Soul Society without good reason, assuming he even did in the first place.

Then just tonight. _He_ had come. A tall man dressed in a Shinigami's _shihakusyou_. He had worn a scarf very similar to the one she always saw the _rokubantai-taicho[1]_ Kuchiki Byakuya wear. Other then that he had a bit longer then average length orange hair.

Truthfully, Hinamori had been a little worried about Shiro-chan. She had to chuckle as she thought of what he'd say if he knew she thought about _Shiro-chan_ instead of _Hitsugaya-taicho_. But the fact of the matter was that both he and Soifon_-taicho_ had gotten badly injured. Hinamori couldn't tell for sure but she did believe she could see the orange-haired man trying to avoid critical areas. At the very least his final blows on both Shiro-chan and Soifon_-taicho_ had not been in any critical areas.

She was curious as to who this man was though and how did he know Aizen-_taicho?_ He was certainly powerful. Hinamori believed there weren't a lot of people who could take on two Captains at once. She didn't think anyone except for the Captain-Commander could even hope to accomplish such a feat. Though as she thought more clearly she believed that perhaps Ukitake_-taicho _and Kyouraku-_taicho_ could manage it.

Hinamori was starting to get a bit impatient though. Aizen-_taicho_ should've been here by now, shouldn't he? He wasn't one to be late or to keep people waiting for him.

She was so glad Aizen-_taicho_ had finally come to get her but nonetheless she did want some answers for the man she thought of so fondly. After all one doesn't get accused of being a traitor for no reason at all. Hinamori didn't believe he was a traitor, she would never believe such a thing but she knew that _something_ must've happened.

=0=

Several hours after the incident in at the west gate of Seireitei occurred the thirteen Captains gathered in the meeting room of the First Division.

The atmosphere was heavy and the room was eerily silent. The news of Soifon's and Hitsugaya's defeat had spread around Seireitei like wildfire. Both of them were currently heavily bandaged but they were alive and well. Unohana had managed to fix them up in less then two hours. Their wounds were severe, but not life threatening, almost as if the intruder had intentionally kept them from suffering life threatening wounds.

"Earlier this night, one intruder has breached the defenses of Seireitei," Captain-Commander Yamamoto started, "said intruder managed to break into the Fifth Division's Lieutenants Quarters to kidnap _Gobantai-fukutaicho[2] _Hinamori Momo. As this person, of who's identity we are for now unaware of, left her quarters he was, finally, detected and subsequently all Captains and Vice-Captains were informed of the events. This much you all know."

Some of the Captains nodded their ascent yet others remained silent, waiting for the Captain-Commander to continue.

"The intruder managed to move throughout the Seireitei without being delayed, however as he reached the western gate it was there that he was confronted by the _juubantai-taicho[3]_ Hitsugaya Toushirou and soon after _nibantai-taicho[4] _Soifon." Yamamoto continued.

Several people let out silent sighs, they knew what was coming next. The majority of them had yet to comprehend just what had happened though.

"Our intruder defeated both the _nibantai-taicho _and _juubantai-taicho_ solidly. He had not received any wounds of great significance by the end of the battle." Yamamoto finished, letting the announcement hang into the air.

Reactions among the gathered Captains differed. Ukitake and Kyouraku closed their eyes in a form of silent agreement. Soifon and Hitsugaya both turned their gazes towards the floor, not wanting to acknowledge their crashing defeat at the hands of the unknown intruder. Kenpachi grinned excitedly at the prospect of getting to fight this unknown opponent. Mayuri on the other hand grinned for another reason entirely, no one doubted the fact that he was currently looking forward to obtaining a new 'specimen'. The remaining Captains merely looked impassive, there was no doubt in anyone's mind however that it troubled everyone present greatly.

"Hitsugaya-_taicho, _Soifon-_taicho."_ The Captain-Commander's voice rang out again, shaking everyone from their thoughts and causing the two Captains to raise their gaze at Captain-Commander. "Explain to us, what you know of this unknown intruder as well as how it was possible for you to suffer such a humiliating defeat."

Soifon once more sighed and bowed her head in shame. To think that when she had arrived at the battlescene she had silently scolded Hitsugaya for being in the condition he was in while his opponent appeared unharmed.

Hitsugaya on the other hand looked straight in front of him, staring off into space while he began speaking in an impassive tone.

"I confronted the intruder almost instantly after he reached the western gate. The man fought me and the truth is that I never stood a chance." Hitsugaya started, obviously ashamed of his defeat. "After I crashed into a building I released my Shikai but even then it was as if it made no difference. No more but a few seconds later I was at his mercy as he prepared to strike the finishing blow." Hitsugaya explained.

Some of the Captain's eyes widened at this revelation. It was a well-known fact that Hitsugaya's Zanpakutou, _Hyourinmaru, _was nothing to be triffled with, even in just it's Shikai state.

"It was then that Soifon_-taicho_ arrived. She managed to land a kick on his head which sent him flying. The both of us fought him for a while but it didn't seem to make much of a difference." Hitsugaya bowed his head down in defeat once more, it was obvious the young Captain did not enjoy reliving his humiliating defeat but such were the responsibilites of a Captain in the Gotei 13. "Eventually I felt the reiatsu signatures of three Vice-Captains and slightly behind them two more Captains, heading in our direciton. They were Abarai_-fukutaicho, _Hisagi-_fukutaicho_, Kira_-fukutaicho, _Ukitake-_taicho_ and Kyouraku_-taicho._ It appeared however that the intruder realised the same thing." Hitsugaya explained.

Yamamoto turned his gaze towards his two oldest Captains and students. Said men looked at him and nodded, signifying that Hitsugaya had been right.

"Our intruder used _Kidou_ to create a net in which he put Hinamori as if to keep her close. As Soifon and I realised reinforcements were on it's way we silently decided we should atleast try to tire him out and stall him. We charged and he locked us, along with himself and Hinamori inside a barrier, also by using _Kidou._" Hitsugaya stopped for a moment here, to allow any questions if anyone had any.

"If the intruder could use _Kidou_ it is safe to assume that he was a Shinigami." Yamamoto stated, Hitsugaya attempted to interupt him but Yamamoto continued before he got the chance. "what level spells did the intruder use during his battle with the two of you, _juubantai-taicho, nibantai-taicho?_"

"I do not believe it is safe to assume that our intruder was a Shinigami however I will elaborate further on this later. As for the levels of the spells he used, during the entire encounter he used four different _Kidou_'s all of varying degree in difficulty. They were _Bakudou #37 - Tsuriboshi, Bakudou #61 - Rikujyoukourou, Bakudou #73 - Tozansho _and a particularly powerful _Hadou #1 - Shou_. All spells were used, without incantation." Hitsugaya stated flatly.

This caused several eyebrows to raise. It was one thing to be proficient in swordmanship. But to be as proficient in _Kidou_ at the same time, being able to use seventy-level _Kidou_ spells without incantation even, it was a very astonishing feat. The majority of Shinigami either focused on one area to excel in or chose to divide their intention between the four different Shinigami Arts becoming atleast average in all four but not excelling in even one.

The Captain-Commander's expression remained impassive at this information. "I see, you may continue, Hitsugaya_-taicho._"

"After locking all four of us inside the barrier we proceeded our battle. Not long after however, I..." Hitsugaya paused, it was a difficult part for him. He still wasn't sure if it was his fault or not. Regardless, it would probably haunt him forever.

"Hitsugaya_-taicho_ walked straight into the trap laid out for him and he ended up stabbing me, instead of the opponent. I, however hold no ill feelings whatsoever towards him and I feel like I should stress on the fact that he was no more responsible for what happened then I am myself." Soifon spoke up, answering in Hitsugaya's stead.

Hitsugaya for his part looked at Soifon briefly as he nodded his thanks. Both for her explaining that particular event as well as the fact that she held no ill feelings regarding the incident.

Once more, the eyes of the attending Captains widened. To attempt to trick a Captain into doing something was one thing. But to actually lay out a trap such as this and have it succeed, their opponent must've been skilled indeed.

"After Soifon_-taicho_ lost consciousness. I released _Hyourinmaru's _Bankai despite my better judgement. I take full responsibility for that action as it could've injured Hinamori had the battle not ended shortly afterwards." Hitsugaya continued once more. "I actually managed to hit my opponent head on with _Hyourinmaru's_ ice dragon. At this I dropped my guard, believing my opponent to be severely wounded if not finished." Hitsugaya stated, with a sigh he continued. "I should've known better. Before I realised what had happened I had a sword sticking out of my gut and soon after lost consciousness as well." He seemingly finished.

Just as the Captain-Commander was about to speak up again however, Hitsugaya continued once more.

"There was however, one thing I noticed before losing consciousness." He started once again, before locking eyes with the Captain-Commander. "This person, had a Hollow hole in his chest."

=0=

In the meantime Fugunaga Aiko third seat of the Fifth Division was making her way across the grounds. She had been the person who alerted the Captains and Vice-Captains of the intruder last night. Truth be told she had been rather shocked.

Ever since the defection of their former Captain, Aizen Sousuke, Fifth Division had been a mess. Hinamori Momo their supposed Vice-Captain locked herself away in her quarters the majority of the week. Only ever coming out for a meal or sometimes two a day. She completely neglected the entire Division and thus much was left up to Aiko herself.

Aiko considered herself a capable Shinigami atleast. She hadn't risen to third seat in a relatively short time for no reason after all. Admittedly _Zanjutsu[5]_ and _Hakuda[6]_ weren't her strong suit. Nonetheless she was well above average in _Hoho[7]_ and extremely proficient in _Kidou._

After all, a third seat being able to use a high seventy-level _Kidou_ spell was almost unheard of. Though she had to admit that last night's circumstances were the last push she needed to finally succesfully be able to use the _Bakudou #77 - Tentei Kuura_ which she had been practising on for well over a month by now.

She guessed it were the circumstances that had indeed given her the final push she needed. A wise man had once told her that ones abilities only truly flourish when they are needed the most. He had been right, after last night, how could she disagree? She was glad she always studied the current Captains and Vice-Captains of the Gotei 13. She knew all of them atleast by name and face and last night she was glad she did. For that was what was needed to perform the _Kidou_. One had to picture the faces of those she wished to transfer a message to inside her head.

As Aiko shook herself from her thoughts however she noticed she was standing in front of the Vice-Captain's quarters. Deciding that perhaps she could do some good she entered planning to investigate the crime scene.

Entering the Lieutenant's quarters she noticed nothing out of the ordinary at first. The room was dirty though, it was obvious it hadn't been cleaned in weeks with clothes and various objects strown throughout the room. She saw a picture frame lying near the wall opposite her though and walked over to it. Picking it up she saw it was a picture of Hinamori_-fukutaicho_ together with Aizen. Everyone in Fifth Division had known how fond their _fukutaicho_ had been of Aizen. Aiko had thought it admirable at first but seeing how her _fukutaicho_ reacted to his defection had changed her view. Hinamori hadn't just been fond of Aizen, she'd been obsessed by him and perhaps still was. Noticing that, other then the mess around the room nothing was really out of the ordinary she turned to leave. As she did so however, she noticed something else. A head was resting on the pillow of the bed, almost completely obstructed from view by the bed's covers. Walking over to it and pulling the covers back slightly she was left speechless as her eyes widened.

Lying in the bed in front of her was none other then Kuchiki Rukia. In the Gotei 13 Shinigami from noble families were generally well known. Kuchiki Rukia however was another case entirely, there was hardly anyone who didn't know of her after what had happened following the events of her retrieval from the real world. That, and she was the adopted sister of Kuchiki Byakuya, _rokubantai-taicho_ and head of the Kuchiki Clan. The first thing Aiko noticed was that her face looked exceptionally pale with bags under her eyes. She didn't even want to know what the rest of her body might look like. After all she had been held captive ever since the three Captains had defected. No news had come of her return and she had been assumed dead. With her lying here in the Lieutenant's quarters however she was obviously anything but dead and without news of her return it was safe to assume that she had been returned last night when Hinamori Momo was taken.

Instantly making up her mind she grabbed the girl by the shoulders to wake her. This certainly was a development that the Captains had to know of.

=0=

The room had gone dangerously silent after Hitsugaya's last statement. The attending Captains appeared to have trouble comprehending the meaning of Hitsugaya's words. Though Kurotsuchi's eyes had visibly widened and a sadistic smile was spread across his face.

"A Hollow hole you say?" Komamura's voice rang out with a disbelieving tone to it. "Are you telling us you fought a Hollow, with a human appearance wielding a Zanpakutou and able to use _Kidou?"_

"Hitsugaya's right," Kyouraku's voice rang out. "He did have a Hollow hole right in his chest. I saw it as well and I believe Ukitake did too."

Ukitake merely nodded at that. "Other then that he seemed to use a variant of a Menos' _Cero._" Ukitake started. "It was blue instead of red though but if I heard correctly he called it _Gran Rey Cero."_

"And that is the attack that pretty much obliterated the courtyard in front of the west gate?" Komamura asked, wide-eyed.

Ukitake and Kyouraku could do nothing more but nod at his question. "It's appearance in the middle of Seireitei aside, could it have been a Vasto Lorde?" Unohana asked, her soft voice immediately drawing attention as she did not often speak during these meetings.

Ukitake opened his mouth to answer but was cut off. "No," The Captain-Commander's voice rang out through the room. "Arrancar," Was the single word he spoke after that. Wide-eyed expressions followed his statement. Aizen was making his move already? They had not expected him to for atleast a year. The time it would take for the Hougyoku to awaken according to Urahara Kisuke.

Before anyone got a chance to reply to the Captain-Commander's statement however the doors to the meeting room were pushed open. A single Shinigami entered and instantly kneeled down, her head almost touching the ground.

"My deepest apologies," She said to the room at large. "But I have come to share with you, an urgent discovery."

The room remained silent after her announcement and the Captain-Commander looked thoroughly annoyed to be interupted during such a crucial moment in their meeting.

"Within the Fifth Division's Lieutenant's quarters I have discovered the body of Kuchiki Rukia. She is alive and well and is currently waiting outside these doors to be allowed inside." She announced.

Everyone's eyes visibly widened at this announcement but none more so then the eyes of _rokubantai-taicho_, Kuchiki Byakuya.

=0=

As Kuchiki Rukia entered the First Division's Meeting Room she instantly knew the tension in the room could be cut with a knife. It was understable she thought, after all it wouldn't surprise her if she had been presumed dead. What did surprise her however was the expression on her nii-sama's face. He looked shocked, while normally his face never showed anything other then impassivity. She was curious what had brought this change about but nonetheless she had other things to worry about. Interrupting a Captain's meeting was practically unheard of, but the 5th Division's third seat had insisted that an exception was in order.

She halted her progress into the room as she reached the two lines of Captains. She instantly dropped to her knees and bowed her head as if meaning to kiss the very floor she sat on.

"My apologies for interupting your meeting! But I was told that the situation called for it."

She had been unsure as to what this could possibly mean. Thinking back on last nights events however she was sure it had to do something with Ichigo.

"Kuchiki Rukia," The Captain-Commander's voice rang out. "You were undoubtedly captured and we presumed, killed, by the traitorous Captain Aizen Sousuke, how is it that you appear back on our doorstep hours after an intruder managed to breach our defenses?"

Rukia had expected this question and while she would have never considered lying to the Captain-Commander in the past she felt it would be the best course of action considering the situation. After all, she had a promise to fulfill to Ichigo. She would grow strong and that was not something she could do while in prison.

"Sir, I am not aware of the events that transpired in Soul Society," She started. "Nonetheless I can hazard a guess. Last night, atleast I presume it was last night as I do not know how long I have been out for, an Arrancar approached me in my prison cell. Said person informed that I had no further use for Aizen-sama's goals and before I could even reply to his statement I was knocked out."

While she knew it wasn't the best of lies she could only hope it would suffice. Why, after all, would Aizen return her to Soul Society rather then simply end her life. On the other hand, who could possibly even begin to understand the mind of Aizen Sousuke. The man they'd believed to be their ally for decades on end and had deceived them all this time.

"Why did Aizen choose to return you, rather then end your life? For we presume you have been brought here by the very intruder that breached our defenses just hours prior to our current meeting."

It was the question she had dreaded and she had no answer to it without revealing too much. She could only hope they would realise that had the situation been real she truly didn't have an answer to it.

"I-I have no answer to that, I can not hope to understand the mind of a man such as Aizen." She started. "However I believe I can tell you the about the identity of the intruder."

The room remained eerily quiet after her statement, some of the Captains looked at her curiously while others showed no outward signs of having even heard her.

She had promised Ichigo not to reveal any of the information about the Espada and their numbers. She could however tell them roughly what the Espada was. Taking the continuous silence as her cue she started talking.

"I believe that the person who knocked me out in the first place and subsequently must have breached Seireitei's defenses and brought me here was none other then Kurosaki Ichigo, the boy who had been given my Shinigami powers." She stated impassively causing the eyes of several people to widen even nii-sama's eyebrows seemed to rise if only slightly at her statement.

And so she told them about her imprisonment in Las Noches, Aizen's fortress. About the food she was brought and the guard that beat her. About how a female Arrancar one day visited her and kept coming by to talk. How once this Arrancar realised that one of the persons Rukia had told her about was none other then the only one she truly cared about. She had told them how Ichigo had come to her and had asked for her help in regaining some of his memories. How he became more and more like his former self every day and eventually the day came when he knocked her out and the next thing she knew she was woken up by the Fifth Division's third seat in said Division's Lieutenants Quarters.

The room at large seemed to have some trouble taking in what she had just explained to them. Some closed their eyes and shooked their heads as if dissaproving of her actions. Others looked at her with an odd look she couldn't place while others again remained impassive to her explanation.

"Kuchiki Rukia," The voice of Captain-Commander Yamamoto rang out, "While I admire your strength to have remained sane through such a truly testing trial I feel it would be good to remind you of the fact that the human boy you once cared about has died. He is now a Hollow and thus our enemy, in war one cannot hold sympathy for the opposite side."

Rukia had expected this but she refused to lie much more and so she had told them as much of the truth as she was allowed to. But this she wouldn't take, Ichigo may be a Hollow but he wouldn't kill for the sake of killing. She knew he would kill if ordered to and that he would kill to protect Nel and she liked to think even herself despite the unlikelyness of that considering the fact that they were indeed on opposite sides in this upcoming war. But Ichigo would not kill needlessly, she was convinced of that.

"But-" She started yet she didn't get far.

"Silence, child!" The Captain-Commander all but shouted. "He is a Hollow even if he has regained some sense of human emotion. Just tonight he has grievously injured both _juubantai-taicho_ Hitsugaya Toushirou and _nibantai-taicho_ Soifon."

Both Soifon and Hitsugaya lowered their heads at this once more. The humiliation of their crushing defeat would probably haunt them for some time to come. Yet other Captains such as Ukitake, Kyouraku and even Kuchiki Byakuya frowned at the Captain-Commander's statement.

Rukia meanwhile couldn't believe what she was hearing. _Grievously injured?_ Ichigo had promised he wouldn't kill tonight and while it was true none of the two Captains had died the Captain-Commander's words made it sound as if they could have. And that was not to mention the lower-ranked Shinigami that might have been involved. Ichigo had promised, hadn't he?

She vowed she would get to the bottom of this. But for now she would play along.

"I-If that is true then I apologize, and while I will not see Ichigo as a person as my enemy, I realise that should I come up against him in battle, he will be."

The Captain-Commander nodded at this letting the ensuing silence signify that it was time for her to leave. Before she turned around however Ukitake looked at her with an expression that told her that he would want to talk with her later.

=0=

As Ichigo sidestepped another thrust he quickly turned on the offense going for a punch straight to Ggio's face. Ggio barely had the time to duck and before he even knew it a knee was heading straight for his face, just in time managing to bring up his hands he managed to reduce the impact but not negate it entirely.

Ignoring the pain he quickly aimed a slash at Ichigo's face while at the same time kicking for his side. Ichigo blocked both the attacks with a single hand however Ggio could only smirk at his master. With both Ichigo's hands occupied now he aimed a fast thrust at Ichigo's now exposed stomach area with his remaining arm. As he hit it however it felt like he hit a wall of solid steel and his eyes widened briefly. Jumping back he had expected his master to retaliate to the hit on his _hierro_, he was surprised however to see said person looking down at his stomach. A small trickle of blood was running down a wound not much bigger then a papercut. Ggio could only smirk.

"It seems you're done Ggio, congratulations, you have done well." Ichigo told him.

Ggio felt pride swell his chest. He was certainly proud of his accomplishment but he couldn't help but wonder what this task was all about. What was the point of it? They both knew Ggio could never even hope to stand against someone of Ichigo's level.

"_A-Arrigatou, _Ichigo-sama," Ggio started. "I would like to know something though. What was the point of this exercise? We both know I couldn't possibly hope to beat you and one small papercut such as that hardly proves the opposite."

At this Ichigo could only smirk.

"I had expected someone of your intelligence to have figured it out by now, Ggio. "Ichigo stated with a smirk. "But not to worry. You are right, you couldn't possibly hope to beat me, not at your level. All this time I have never been using much more then a small fraction of my full unreleased powers. The part of my _hierro_ that you cut was one of the weakest areas but nonetheless it is an impressive accomplishment. The way at which you went around my guard especially, making full use of the fact that you use two blades in your _resurrección_ instead of just one."

Ggio wasn't too surprised at hearing this. He didn't expect his master was fighting at his full strength. He never displayed any of the speed he showed during his fight with Nnoitra. And ofcourse he had never even drawn his blade. He had to admit though, his accomplishment suddenly seemed a lot less impressive now that he had the harsh truth shoved into his face.

"I'm telling you this for a reason, Ggio." Ichigo continued. "There's a war at hand, this you know. What you don't know is just how powerful the Gotei 13 Captains are. Just last night I was forced to fight two at the same time and I have to admit that at times I was heavily pressured and once I was even hit by one of their more powerful attacks head on. For me that is a feat that proves their strength, you know about my power and how I was 'raised' by Aizen-sama but you on the other hand, you are one out of countless Arrancar, you have potential and you are fast. What you do not have however is the strength to stand on even ground with a Soul Society Captain. That is all I wish for you to achieve, I do not wish to lose my only _Fracción _in a hearbeat to the strength of Soul Society."

Ggio meanwhile was amazed. He was being trained to eventually be able to match the power of a Captain? He vowed to double the effort into the training with Ichigo. Had he known from the start that Ichigo was aiming for such an end result he might've pushed himself even harder. It appeared the expression of determination was showing clearly on his face.

"I'm glad you realise that it will take a lot of effort on your part to achieve this. Do not disillusion yourself however. You could not have possibly put more effort into the exercise you finished just now, you were giving it your all, I can vouch for that. Why did I pick myself to be your partner in this exercise? It is simple Ggio. I have one of the most powerful _hierro_ out of the current Espada. I am also the _Primera_ Espada. The odds you faced were impossible and thus you were forced to give it everything you had."

Ggio thought about this for a while. Perhaps Ichigo was right, he felt like he had given it his all. But what would've happened if he had given even more, he wondered. Above all he believed he would definitely be broken every night, he would lose stamina more quickly and eventually he'd be drained and open for any attack. Other then that his determination might've turned into recklessness.

"Lastly I want you to remember one thing and remember this during every battle you will fight in the future." Ichigo started. "No matter your opponent, always respect the person standing before you in battle. For you are both fighting and putting your life on the line and in the end the only truereward you gain from winning a battle is life itself. There is no shame in losing a battle. If you lose a battle and die then die knowing that your opponent was more powerful then you and thus he marked the end of your life. Die with a smile on your face rather then die shouting in fury akin to a lowly Hollow."

Ggio had never thought of it like this before. But he had to admit some of it made sense. In the end in a battle everyone fought for the same thing. They all fought to preserve their life. While doing so however they often served another cause at the same time. Shinigami for example would fight to stop Aizen-sama from achieving his goals but yet they fought for their own life just as well. What Ichigo had said about dying made sense as well. Those that died shouting in fury only suffered a more humiliating defeat. Those that died with a smile or in silent words were the one that died a worthy dead. They died acknowledging their opponent's strength. Before Ggio could get any further in his thoughts however a voice next to him called out.

"Kurosaki," Turning around Ichigo could see Grimmjow standing next to him, all five of his _Fracción_ flanking his sides.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo returned, nodding.

"Kurosaki, I want you to fight me," Grimmjow stated flatly. It was obvious he wanted it very much, the excitement could easily be heard in his voice.

"And why is that, Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked. Truth was he didn't mind fighting Grimmjow. He'd learned in his fight with Nnoitra that fighting other powerful opponents was a great way to get a good handle on your powers. Ichigo still believed he couldn't wield the full potential of his own powers and in particular, his _resurrección._ The sad truth was that testing his _resurrección_ on any Espada above the number of five wouldn't work at all, it would be too easy. Of the Espada below number five Ulquiorra never did seem to train at all, Starrk was always sleeping and Barragan was too arrogant to accept even a mere spar from anyone at all. Nelliel was a possibility Ichigo admitted but he knew he would never bring out everything he had while fighting her. It annoyed him to some extent, but he knew it to be the truth.

"I want to know how strong I am ofcourse!" Grimmjow stated, grinning. "What better way to test it then by fighting the _Primera?_ Nnoitra got his ass kicked without you ever truly _needing_ to release. If I can train with you and eventually manage to force you to release it'll prove that my powers atleast surpass his."

Ichigo could only smirk at this. Strength meant everything to Grimmjow, to fight was what he loved. Ichigo could relate to that, remembering his fight with Nnoitra and with the two Shinigami Captains he knew he had absolutely loved every minute of it. He figured helping Grimmjow would be mutually beneficial anyway.

"Very well, Grimmjow." Ichigo started. "Starting today we will train once a day after I finish my training with Ggio. I would request you bring atleast one of your _Fracción _along as well so that Ggio too may have a training partner."

Grimmjow's grin widened even further if possible, exposing his teeth for the world to see. "Alright, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow shouted in excitement as he unsheathed his Zanpakutou and shot out towards Ichigo.

=0=

Rukia was seated in the Thirteenth Division Captain's Office, across from her Captain, Ukitake Juushirou. She had been called to his office right after the meeting had ended and she was curious to know about the reason.

"Rukia, I have called you here today for a handful reasons but the main reason above all is that I merely want to have a talk with you." Ukitake said.

"What is it you want to talk me about, sir?"

"Well, first of all, why did you lie to the Captain-Commander?"

Rukia was surprised and soon realized a blush was creeping up her face. She had hoped no one had caught on to that. It appeared her hopes were in vain however. She wondered silently if there was any way she could talk herself out of this. But on the other hand, while she had lied to the Captain-Commander she truly didn't want to lie to her Captain.

"Not to worry, I don't intend to let anyone know of this. Although I do suspect Byakuya has been thinking along the same lines." Ukitake said as if to reassure her.

"I-It's hard to explain. Ichigo means a lot to me and I did some terrible things to him back when he was still alive and I was taken back to Soul Society." She started. "He has forgiven me after regaining his memories and I care about him deeply. Despite that I can't help but wonder if he really did injury Hitsugaya_-taicho _and Soifon_-taicho that_ badly. He promised me he wouldn't kill a soul last night." As soon as the words had left her mouth her eyes widened and she turned her head to look the other way. She had always trusted her Captain but to tell him this much had not been her intention.

Her Captain meanwhile merely smiled at her. "To start off with, neither of the two Captains were injured as severely as you were told." Relief showed on her face. "Both had sustained heavy injuries but it was almost as if vital spots were avoided on purpose. Now it seems I know why. I am curious as to what you meant with that he promised you though, you said he knocked you out right after coming in to your cell, didn't you?" Ukitake asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"I-I'm sorry for lying but he didn't," she answered his question. "He told me that Aizen had no more use for me and he was allowed to return me to Soul Society but I was suspicious. I realized there was more to it then he told me and so he explained me that he had a mission in Soul Society when we arrived here. I didn't want to have a part in it at first but he promised me he wouldn't kill anyone. I trust him. That and the fact that if he really wanted to he could have knocked me out against my protests. He cares for me deeply but he has sworn loyalty to a man and thus he is forced to obey the orders he is given."

Ukitake nodded in understanding. It wasn't hard to realise that Rukia truly held no blame in any of this. Ukitake assumed the intruder must have used Rukia's identity and situation to his advantage to be allowed inside the west gate. Had the situation asked for it he could have done it without Rukia's approval.

"I understand, Rukia."

Rukia seemed glad to hear this as a small smile spread across her face.

"One day I hope you will tell me about this boy, Kurosaki Ichigo. It sounds like a truly interesting story. But for now I have something else to ask you about."

Rukia looked at her Captain questioningly. He had told her ofcourse that there was more then one issue that was to be adressed. But for once she wished he wouldn't let these statements hang in the air before adressing them. She was too curious for her own good at times like these.

"I believe you have attained Shikai quite a long time ago, haven't you, Rukia?" Ukitake asked her. Rukia merely nodded at this.

"_Ah._ _Sode no Shirayuki _if I'm not mistaken, an ice-type Zanpakutou." He stated, not really expecting an answer and continued right away. His next question however did surprise her. "How far along are you untill Bankai, Rukia?"

Yes, she certainly was surprised now and her eyes and facial expression told him as much. Rukia for her part hadn't realised anyone at all had been aware of the fact that she had been training for Bankai for quite some years now. Her Captain, as always, knew far more then he let on.

"I-I have achieved materialization of my Zanpakutou Spirit and have started on the task it has set for me." Rukia started. It was an unspoken rule for most Shinigami to refer to their Zanpakutou Spirits as 'it' rather then he or she. It was a very intimate gesture to let anyone know about the spirit of your Zanpakutou, even something as trivial as revealing it's gender. "I have not yet gotten far with it though, as I was sent out to the real world just about at the time I achieved materialization."

Ukitake nodded in understand but he was impressed nonetheless and it showed. A smile had formed on his face. It was a truly great reward of being a Captain, seeing your subordinates grow from rookies straight out of the academy to powerful Shinigami in their own right.

Rukia had reached Shikai a long time ago but Ukitake had noticed she had never really put any effort into reaching Bankai. That was, untill a little more then ten years ago. Eleven or twelve, Ukitake thought. It was an impressive feat, only a true genius could go from Shikai to reaching Bankai within ten years. The fact that Rukia had reached materialization in eleven or twelve years showed that she had true potential if she put forth the effort required. Materialization after all was the hardest part of reaching Bankai. After that the only thing left was to finish the task set for you by your Zanpakutou spirit. This differed greatly though, some tasks took a day, others a month and again others could take years to complete. The fact that Rukia could achieve Bankai within now and about a year's time was something that pleased Ukitake greatly. On the other hand, at the same time it didn't. Rukia was an unseated member in his Division while she had more then enough power to be a Vice-Captain. If she achieved Bankai and significantly increased her skills in _Hoho _and _Zanjutsu_ she could even become Captain material. Ukitake vowed then and there that he would talk to Byakuya as soon as possible.

"It's a very impressive feat Rukia, not many people even manage to reach materialization during their lifetime. You have even gone as far as to reach it within twelve years from starting your Bankai training. I truly hope to see you reach the pinnacle of a Shinigami's strength and while I do not wish to pressure you, now would be the best time for you to accept the task set out for you. There's a war at hand, Rukia." Ukitake told her with a serious expression on his face.

Rukia smiled a small smiled and nodded. "I had intented to, Ukitake-_taicho. _I promised Ichigo I would become powerful, powerful enough to atleast survive this war. But I promised to myself that I would become powerful enough, not to survive, but to make a difference." She told her Captain before quietly adding one more thing. "And to do everything within my power to make sure that Ichigo too, comes out of this war alive."

Ukitake smiled. Her resolve was firm once again. It had wavered greatly ever since Kaien's death and while Ukitake didn't believe she would ever truly get over it he did believe she was healing. If she wanted, Ukitake thought, she truly could make a difference. The boy, Ichigo, seemed to mean a great deal to her. Bonds have always been hard to forge but easy to destroy. For their bond to have sustained through all this it must be truly strong. Rukia's promise to the boy was all Ukitake needed to know that Rukia _would_ become powerful indeed.

He smiled at her before replying. "And I believe you will, Rukia. But while I would have liked to adress a handful of other issues I will leave those be for now. I believe Byakuya and perhaps your old friend Renji would like to have a word with you."

Rukia for her part, smiled at her Captain and nodded before thanking him. She left soon after, in search for her nii-sama, Kuchiki Byakuya and one of her oldest friends, Abarai Renji.

=0=

Hitsugaya Toushirou sat in the Tenth Division's Captain's Office, quietly overthinking the events of the past night.

To start off with he had been utterly and completely humiliated. Not only had he been beaten by an Arrancar that he now knew went by the name of Kurosaki Ichigo. He had pretty much been tricked into stabbing his ally, _nibantai-taicho_ Soifon. It is something that he should've seen through. It was an obvious trap and yet he had fallen for it completely. Hitsugaya had been one of the people who did realise that the upcoming war wasn't going to be easy. After all their enemy was the traitorous Captain Aizen Sousuke who'd deceived Soul Society for decades on end. Nonetheless he felt that they would stand victorious. But now, he was starting to doubt his judgement on the matter.

Thinking back on the fight with Kurosaki Ichigo he realised that the Arrancar might've, for reasons unknown to Hitsugaya, avoided landing any critical hits on purpose. He wondered if all Arrancar were as powerful as this Kurosaki Ichigo. Then again, that _wasn't_ something he believed possible. Aizen had sent this particular individual to infiltrate Soul Society for a reason. Perhaps he was a trumph card of sort to Aizen. Nonetheless, Hitsugaya didn't feel comfortable in facing the Arrancar again in battle. Truth be told he wasn't sure if he even stood much of a chance even if he used _Hyourinmaru's Tenso Jurin._ It was his ultimate trumph card, being able to control all the water in the atmosphere was a powerful weapon indeed. But he knew, somehow, he knew that this Kurosaki Ichigo had not yet revealed his true potential.

And then there was the issue with Hinamori Momo. His best and only childhood friend. She had been taken to Aizen for reasons he didn't understand either. What could she offer him? She was a Vice-Captain, Aizen's former Vice-Captain at that. But from what Hitsugaya had heard it would not be hard for Aizen to create Arrancar that were similar in power to a regular Vice-Captain. Other then that Hinamori didn't have much more to offer apart from her obvious talent in _Kidou_ nonetheless her talent was outclassed by far compared to Aizen his own.

Hitsugaya didn't believe Aizen had taken Hinamoro for some sort of revenge either. After all, what had Hinamori ever done but serve him faithfully? Aizen had been everything to her, she was completely obsessed by her former Captain. And she would do absolutely anything for him. On the other hand, Hitsugaya would do anything for Hinamori as well. He would not let her rot in one of Las Noches cells nor would he allow her to serve Aizen in whatever way he wanted her to.

And then, it clicked. It all clicked into place. Hinamori would do anything for Aizen. Hitsugaya would do anything for Hinamori. Aizen was a very good judge of character, he had to be or he could never have deceived Soul Society for all those decades. When Aizen had made his escape using _negacción_ all of those present had seen a glimpse of his true self. He was ambitious, manipulative and highly intelligent.

And while in Las Noches Aizen was as safe as he could be from any attacks Soul Society might send at him. There was however, one thing he didn't have. Aizen didn't have information regarding Soul Society's movements, their plans and their adjustments to his recent betrayal. Aizen would have no information on possible replacements for the vacant Captain spots in the Gotei 13 either.

And that, Hitsugaya thought, was what he intended to gain by capturing Hinamori. Aizen required information and Hinamori was the one who could give it to him. He would tell her some half truth about the reason he betrayed Soul Society, would most likely even tell her that Soul Society had instead betrayed him. Hinamori would take the words of her former-Captain as a fact, not even bothering to doubt his judgement and she would do whatever he desired her to.

For that to work however, Aizen would need to return her to Soul Society and such a move would instantly cause suspicion. Kuchiki Rukia for example was being closely monitored already because the reasons Aizen returned her didn't make sense. Her use had ended? She had done nothing but sit in her prison cell ever since his defection. But Hitsugaya thought he knew what her use had been. She had been used to gain acces to the Seireitei. Jidanbo, the western gatekeeper wasn't too well in the brains department and it wouldn't take much more then a simple lie to get past him with Kuchiki Rukia in the arms of the intruder.

But how would Aizen return Hinamori to Soul Society without raising suspicion? Hinamori's actions would be as closely monitored as Kuchiki Rukia's if she'd simply be 'returned' with an obvious excuse of 'her use has ended'.

And then it hit him. Aizen did not intend to return Hinamori at all. He would know that if she was simply returned she would in no way be able to spy on Soul Society without them being aware of it. The information Hinamori passed on to Aizen could even be used against him if she was wrongly informed with the purpose of luring Aizen into making a wrong move.

No, Aizen expected Soul Society to rescue her. Well, that wasn't exactly right either. He expected _Hitsugaya_ to rescue her. Which would mean that if Hitsugaya chose to do so he might even be able to do this. But despite the fact that Aizen seemed to want him to rescue Hinamori, Hitsugaya knew that even he, being the genius he was, could be wrong. He couldn't go alone, it would be far too much of a risk. If he had misjudged Aizen's plans then this would be a very dangerous move. It would not only be Aizen who was present in Las Noches. There were Tousen and Ichimaru too. And that was not to mention the possible army of Arrancar including the Arrancar who had single-handedly defeated _two_ Captain-level Shinigami. Hitsugaya knew that another possibility was that Aizen wanted to lure him and perhaps more Shinigami towards the fortress of Las Noches to either take them out or capture them.

But Hitsugaya had made up his mind. He would rescue Hinamori Momo even if it cost him his life. He would find allies to come with him for he wouldn't go alone if he could help it. If no other way presented itself, then he'd go alone but he wasn't stupid enough to go alone if there was a possibility of finding allies beforehand.

His plan was set, all that was left now, was to execute it.

=0=

Aizen Sousuke silently sat in his throne room. He was thinking about his coming plans concerning Soul Society and his ascension to the King's Realm. As of yet he didn't think Soul Society would've discerned his ultimate goal just yet. But it wouldn't take them much longer to figure out. The last words he had spoken to them when he had left had been a bit more then he had originally intended to reveal. Sooner or later someone would figure it out.

But Aizen didn't mind. He liked to be challenged and what fun would it be if he were to ascend to the throne of the King's Realm without any opposition whatsoever? Indeed, no fun at all. He hadn't created an army of Arrancar merely so that they could be discarded without ever being put to use when he chose to create and use the key.

Aizen was brought out of his musings by the arrival of Ichimaru Gin. Aizen's right hand.

"Momo-chan's asked for ye again, Aizen-_taicho."_ Ichimaru called out to him.

"I see," Were Aizen's only words of acknowledging he'd even heard Ichimaru's statement.

"What do ya inten' to do with her anyway?" Ichimaru asked, interested.

"Do with her? What _could_ I possibly do with her?" Aizen started. "I have no use for her whatsoever Gin, soon she will be imprisoned and I expect a certain _taicho _to come to her rescue, she will likely be of some use to us in Soul Society though."

"Ya tellin' me ya went through all that trouble jus' to have her returned again?"

"No, Gin, not at all." Aizen said, smiling.

Ichimaru's grin actually seemed to dissapear at this for just a mere second before it was back in place again. Though one could never know with Ichimaru Gin. Aizen doubted even he himself had ever seen Gin without that ridiculously annoying grin on his face.

"I merely intended to test Kurosaki Ichigo's true powers and potential."

=0=

**Rokubantai-taicho** : Sixth Division Captain.

**Gobantai-fukutaicho** : Sixth Division Vice-Captain

**Juubantai-taicho** : Tenth Division Captain

**Nibantai-taicho** : Second Division Captain

**Zanjutsu** : Swordmanship

**Hakuda** : Hand-to-hand Combat

**Hoho** : Agility, Shunpo is often considered part of this category.

=0=

_And that's another chapter finished. Took me a bit longer then most chapters up untill now though._

_I realise that this chapter might seem a little boring but like others before it merely one of the pieces of a greater scheme. In other words, it is merely preparing for a greater event that is yet to come. I am sure many of you can guess what that is._

_Nonetheless I once again ask all of you to review and let me know what you think of things so far. And with that I mean both about this individual chapter as this story as a whole._

_R&R_

_~Bruuz_


	13. Bonding

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach!

**Announcement:**_I believe a little reminder would be in order. As I have told you in an author's note a while ago I am going on a vacation soon. Soon being, very soon, as in this Thursday night. The last few days I have already been very busy packing and taking care of some last minute arrangements. Which is incidentally also the reason this chapter has come out a fair bit later then any of the other ones I've written so far. I will be gone for a little more then two weeks and thus this will be the last chapter I intend to write untill I leave. I do hope you enjoy it and please pay close attention to the Author's notes at the end of the chapter this time. I have added a handful of questions I would be very interested to hear answers about._

**Yonda: **Ggio will probably get a pretty big role at one point or another indeed. And yes Rukia is a very important character in my story. She was after all the one that was partially responsible for Ichigo's death and transformation in a Hollow. That aside she is also one of the main characters in Canon, obviously.

**X009:** Yes boring was a mistake in wording on my part. I merely meant to say that there would be less action in it. After writing the entire chapter full of mostly infiltrating Soul Society I do have to say it was a little boring to write though.

As for Ggio, who knows. I'm not certain yet. I intend to train him to become powerful, that is for sure. The only question is how powerful, that is something I don't even know myself.

Grimmjow will become stronger but I don't think his character will change any. I'm currently a bit uncertain as to what way I should take this character later on in my story but I can't comment any further on that without revealing too much.

And lastly, yes this is how some characters will act up in Hueco Mundo. But it will merely be the first time they end up there. Inoue Orihime will still be captured at one point or another that I can guarantee. So with that you can pretty much assume that some characters will return to Hueco Mundo again.

**DarkJason: **Yes I have to admit you're reading me pretty well on some points. I'm glad you seem to be the only one so far though! :p

And indeed, Ukitake is in my eyes a very reasonable person. He is one of the older Captains and it's possible he has even encountered (natural) Arrancar before. Other then that he has complete trust in Rukia and would not doubt her word on such a matter.

**RyumaOmega: **My plans for Momo are pretty much final now. Rest assured I think I have managed to find an interesting role for her.

**MKTerra: **Oh I fully understand that. But I can assure you that I will not, ever, abandon a fic once I have started it. Personally I'm totally into the story myself and am spending quite a lot of time figuring out the best ways to continue it. So no worries, it will not be abandoned untill it is finished.

Yes, Aizen will make the Ouken, eventually. And Ichinel is indeed the pairing for this story! Now that I think of it I had actually intended to make IchiRuki at first but I changed my mind when I realised I had to pair a Hollow with a Shinigami. Not that it hasn't been done before, I personally just don't like it. The romances is coming at a slow pacing though and it won't get going completely untill a certain event I have in mind.

**Orpheus Thanatos Messiah: **Glad you've enjoyed it so far. As for Harribel (Man she sure is popular!) she will make her appearance eventually, as I've said before. I don't have too many plans with her for now but there will be atleast one...well important might be overdoing it, but she will have atleast one significant role in the story at one point or another. I can also guarantee you however that (To the dissapointment of some perhaps) she will not be paired with anyone.

**Houkaru Kisaragi:** I don't mind you telling me this but I can't help but respond to it either. You probably haven't noticed that it is _not_ labeled under the category romance. I have promised that it will include romance at one point or another and that is all I will promise.

As for it not being realistic. I'm very sorry but on this I will have to be blunt with you too. They are Hollow, Arrancar yes, but still Hollow. Do you expect them to jump one another at the first opportunity? I personally believe that especially with a Hollow pairing the romance should come at a very slow pace.

**Lycodrake:** I completely agree with you about 'El Sable'. I thought Ggio was a very interesting Arrancar with a pretty good-looking _resurrección_ untill he pulled the steroids tiger card. Truth be told I would almost go as far as to say that completely ruined Ggio for me personally. I'm intending to do _something_ about it but for now I haven't been able to come up with anything yet.

Other then that I will definitely take a look at your upcoming Bleach fic. It'll probably be after I return from my holidays though which is somehwere around the 17th of August. Nonetheless I look forward to reading it.

**Ligerheart:** I'm glad you enjoy the fight scenes in particular. I put quite a lot of effort into them usually and even then I'm usually not satisfied with them. So you have no idea how good it feels to know that you enjoy them in the end.

Personally I don't believe Rukia's Bankai will be revealed in the upcoming chapters. I also have my doubts about them being able to take down Yammy though. But remember, as far as I know, the remaining four Captains are still in Las Noches. But considering Rukia's Shikai I have managed to come up with some pretty good ideas for her Bankai.

**Kisa Teh Puppy:** Have to admit I'm glad I changed my mind about the pairing too. It's a lot of fun to write.

About Momo. You probably do have a point but as of now I believe I have a fair idea of what I will do with her. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out after you've read this chapter.

Lastly, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapters in general. I try my hardest and it's always great to see that your work is being appreciated.

**Tal lan solus: **More of Nnoitra will be revealed in the future. I'm sorry but that's all I will say about him for now.

**Chapter 12: Bonding.  
**

"I merely intended to test Kurosaki Ichigo's true powers and potential."

Gin's grin seemed to grow even wider after hearing this statement. It was just like Aizen.

"That's just like ya Aizen-_taicho_."

Aizen could only smile at this. Kurosaki Ichigo might be his most powerful weapon but Aizen knew how risky this could be. Ever since Aizen had seen the true extent of the bond between Ichigo and Nelliel he had closely monitored Ichigo and to a lesser extent Nelliel as well. It wasn't that Aizen truly distrusted Ichigo. No not at all, but showing emotion to an extent such as Ichigo seemed to do in private could have dangerous consequences for Aizen.

It wasn't a problem at all when Aizen simply looked at his final goal. But it was what stood between him and that goal. It was Soul Society. And while Ichigo would follow any order Aizen would give him without any second thought Aizen wondered if the same would apply when the order concerned Kuchiki Rukia. The truth is that he could have tested his theory by simply killing her but this might in turn cause Ichigo to slowly start to distrust Aizen. After all Rukia had helped him regain his memories and thus she had done him a favor. Aizen in turn had said he was glad, which he actually was. After all Ichigo's last experience with Shinigami during his life was one of being mercilessly cut down by the blade of Kuchiki Byakuya. Nonetheless, he wondered if Kuchiki Rukia could possibly form an obstacle between Aizen and his ambition.

But while Aizen trusted Ichigo perhaps the most of all of his Espada that was also his main reasoning for keeping him so closely monitored. After all, he would not fall prey to the lesson he had once taught his former Captain the hard way. Remembering the exact words he had spoken to his former Captain, Hirako Shinji, he could only smirk inwardly.

_'The betrayal one can see is trivial. What's truly terrifying is when betrayal is unexpected, Hirako-taicho.'_

=0=

Kuchiki Rukia lay in her bed silently thinking about the day's events. She remembered clearly how angry she had been when she was woken by the Fifth Division's third seat. How dare Ichigo just knock her out like that! The next time she saw him she would certainly kick his ass for that.

She could also remember the Captain's meeting she had attended next very clearly. She knew ofcourse that many still held their doubts. Her thoughts on this were proven earlier that day when she noticed she was actually being monitored. Considering her earlier explanation she couldn't blame them though. It was obvious that the only reason Aizen hadn't killed her had something to do with Ichigo. But she could hardly even hope to attempt to convince the Captains of that. Nonetheless there had been no further consequences other then being monitored and she could live with that.

The meeting she'd had with her Captain afterwards had been...enlightening. Her Captain was far more perceptive then anyone ever gave him credit for. Some would even go as far as to consider him weak due to his illness. Rukia however knew better. Ukitake, Kyouraku and after them Unohana were the oldest three Captains in Soul Society. After the Captain-Commander, Ukitake and Kyouraku were without much of a doubt the strongest remaining Captains. Unohana for her part was by no means weak but the truth was that she had always focused more on the medical aspect.

She knew her Captain was a man she could trust however. He would not reveal her secrets to anyone.

After the meeting with her Captain she had gone straight to the Kuchiki mansion and was surprised to find her nii-sama there. He shouldn't have been done with his Captain's duties yet. As she recalled the conversation she'd had with him that day she realized she still hadn't completely realized just what he had told her just yet.

He had explained her that the real reason for her adoption wasn't because she resembled his late wife Kisana. It had been because Hisana, was her older sister, and on her dying bed she had asked Byakuya to take care of her. He had done so and in doing he had, for the second time, broken the law of the Kuchiki Clan. He had sworn in front of his parents graves that he would never disobey the law again, no matter the situation. And so when Rukia was scheduled for execution, her brother was forced to choose. One of the two promises he had made would be broken, it was up to him to decide which. But he hadn't even got that far because of Aizen. Though ironically he admitted to her Aizen had saved him from even having to make a choice to begin with.

Now lying in her bed she could only smile as she remembered the conversation she'd had with her nii-sama. It wasn't as if he'd never cared about her after all. Well in a way it was actually, after all he didn't even really know her. But he'd found it too hard to even look at her with her resemblance to his former wife Hisana. She was glad and she could finally count her nii-sama among the people that were truly important to her.

=0=

As Hitsugaya Toushirou exited the Senkaimon that was taking him to the real world the first thing he did was take in the sight before him. Currently, he was standing in front of a small wooden building, which was supposed to be Urahara Kisuke's residence.

Remembering where he had been an hour ago he had to say he was satisfied with the way things were going. He had his plan, he just needed to find out if he could gather others to come along. He was silently hoping Urahara Kisuke could help him out some.

It was kind of ironic. The Captain-Commander had actually sent him on this mission after he had volunteered. Hitsugaya ofcourse was known as a Captain that valued his duty as a Shinigami above everything else. But there was one thing they didn't know. That everything else did not include Hinamori Momo. Urahara Kisuke would help him, one way or another.

Entering the house he found the room he was located in was empty. So he silently proceeded to make his way through the next couple of rooms. He hadn't found anyone as of yet but when he entered the last remaining room he could feel a subtle hint of reiatsu coming from below a ladder that was located at the far end of the room. Sighing, he made his way over to the ladder and jumped down.

As Hitsugaya landed at the bottom of the stairs his surprise could be seen clearly on his face. He was standing a giant underground...basement. Well for as far as one could even call it a basement. Rock formations could be seen everywhere around him as far as he looked, he didn't get a lot of time to take in his surroundings however.

"My my, what business could a Soul Society Captain have in my humble abode?" The voice of Urahara Kisuke rang out.

Turning his head around Hitsugaya looked straight into the face of Urahara Kisuke. He was distracted however by the sound of an explosion further into the basement and he instantly grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakutou.

"There's no need for that," Urahara's voice called out. "It's merely the sound of two people training."

Hitsugaya frowned for a second before removing his hand from the hilt of his Zanpakutou.

"I have come here to inform you of certain events that transpired in Soul Society recently." Hitsugaya stated.

Urahara's face instantly took on a more serious expression. He nodded towards a spot on the ground, indicating they should sit down.

And so Hitsugaya started explaining of what had happend no more then a day before. He started with the message received by all Captains and Vice-Captains. From there on he continued his own story of how he had traveled to the western gate and had subsequently confronted the intruder. He had told Urahara with the humiliation still present on his face of his and Soifon's crushing defeat at the hands of the Arrancar. He finished off by telling him how the intruder had then escaped and taken Hinamori Momo with him.

After this, Hitsugaya waited for a moment. Quietly hoping Urahara had something to comment on.

Urahara however remained quiet as if expecting the young Captain to continue his tale.

Sighing, Hitsugaya continued. He told Urahara of the Captain's meeting the next day. Told him of how they eventually came to the conclusion that the intruder had been an Arrancar. At this point he explained how Kuchiki Rukia had been allowed into the meeting room. She had explained how she had gotten to know the Arrancar over the weeks and how he had seemingly brought her back to Soul Society before taking Hinamori with him. They had learned some interesting things, but none were a breakthrough of any sort.

Urahara's face took on a thoughtful expression after Hitsugaya finished his explanation. He was positive this person had been the very same guy that had attacked Ishida, Sado and Inoue not too long ago, though it appeared that he had been alone this time.

Urahara had known from the moment the three teens were beaten as effortlessly as they were that Ichigo had become powerful. However, never in his wildest imaginations had Urahara expected that he would be capable of beating two Shinigami Captains while battling the both of them at once. Isshin's son had become powerful indeed, exceptionally so.

Despite that Urahara didn't feel as worried about this new revelation as he probably should have. The things Hitsugaya had told him, Rukia's explanation of her time held captive in particular, were intriguing. It appeared that Ichigo had regained a sense of his former self. The only true question was, had he, or had he not already regained some of his memories by the time he confronted Ishida, Sado and Inoue. It certainly was information that required some more thought.

Right now however he had to consider what Aizen could hope to gain by the capture of Hinamori Momo. Truth be told, Urahara didn't know much of the girl. He knew she was the Vice-Captain of the Fifth Division and so she had served under Aizen before his betrayal of Soul Society. The only real reason Aizen could have had for capturing her, considering that as a Vice-Captain she would not be likely to have any skills that Aizen himself did not have, could have something to do with perhaps her loyalty. Had she not been faithful to Soul Society all this time since Aizen's defection? Had she been in league with him all along perhaps? If this were the case then she could have obtained valuable information pertaining Soul Society. Aizen could've merely waited his chance to retrieve her so she could return to his side with the information.

Yet, Urahara knew this didn't make much sense. As a Vice-Captain she could've left the Seireitei and gone into the Rukongai or the surrounding woods. Aizen could've simply retrieve her from there and Soul Society would be none the wiser as to how or why she had dissapeared. Instead Aizen chose to take her by force. If Hitsugaya's explanation was anything to go by then the girl had been terrified. She either was a very good actor or she truly was scared.

Taking someone, especially someone as important as a Vice-Captain out of the Seireitei, Soul Society's heart, was an insane task. No one would even dare think of such an act. Especially considering the fact that it was done by a single individual. And that's where something clicked for Urahara.

It was a madman's job indeed. No one would think of such a thing, yet someone had. It was unexpected, true. But that didn't mean that Soul Society wouldn't be able to handle something like this, against a normal opponent anyway. Even then, the intruder, no Ichigo, had retreated after he defeated the two Captains and realised more were coming. He had taken precautions by sealing himself, Hinamori and the Captains in a barrier. He had intended to retreat right away after finishing his fight all along. It could've been because he wanted Hinamori to be safe in Las Noches as soon as possible but Urahara knew better. She couldn't have had much information as she'd been locked in her quarters for weeks, that is how hard Aizen's betrayal had hurt her.

Urahara knew now, he was almost certain. Hinamori Momo's capture had been optional. Well, not optional, that wasn't right. It certainly had been important only not for the reasons people thought. Despite Hinamori's loyalty to Aizen she would hardly be of any use. Even if Aizen chose to let her spy on Soul Society should Soul Society attempt to and succeed in rescuing her. She would be found out, a Vice-Captain could hardly hope to fool thirteen Captains for a long time. The real reason for her capture had been as a test. A test for a soldier of his. The test wasn't just any test though, if Rukia's story was true then Ichigo was regaining a sense of emotion. Aizen had allowed Ichigo to return Rukia to Soul Society and covered up his 'test' by making it appear as a mission. Aizen knew that a soldier with as much emotion as Ichigo was supposedly showing could be a risk and he had to know if the risk was worth it. And so he had tested Kurosaki Ichigo by giving him a mission more dangerous then any other. Infiltrate into the heart of Soul Society and capture a Vice-Captain class Shinigami.

It was very unlikely that any person could possibly succeed in such a mission. Urahara reckoned that had it been the Captain-Commander faced with such odds, he might've even had trouble with it. While Urahara did believe Ichigo was powerful he did not think that he was able to beat the Captain-Commander in a one on one battle. Ichigo's mission hadn't been as completely succesful as most thought. He had been lucky. He had been forced to bring up a barrier to finish his fight without being interupted. When he had finally finished two more Captains and three Vice-Captains had been present to continue the battle. Ichigo had been very lucky he had managed to distract them long enough to escape. In his battle-weary state he hadn't been likely to defeat the newcomers and even if he had more reinforcements would have soon showed up. He had been lucky indeed.

He was certain he had discerned Aizen's true goal with this mission. But he was also confident that Hinamori would play a bigger part then logic would suggest, taking into account what he had just learned. Aizen was the kind of man that would use everything that could work to his advantage, no matter how much it could, or rather couldn't. Hinamori would be put to use at one point or another, the only question was what her use would entail in the end.

"Hitsugaya-_taicho_," Urahara started, gaining the boy's attention. "I believe I have some pretty interesting information for you regarding this boy and Aizen's motives as well. However I believe it better if I wrote a report regarding my thoughts and suspicions."

Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows at this. A report? Couldn't he just tell him what his thoughts were on the matter? Or didn't the ex-Captain trust him?

Seeing the look on the young Captain's face, Urahara decided to elaborate. "Not to worry this has nothing to do with trust. But I have a lot of things to think about and I believe it would be better if I had a while to think about this new information. I could put things into a better perspective and essentially give Soul Society a better view on all of it. If you could return tomorrow it should be done by then. I will get working on it right away."

Hitsugaya nodded at this, but made no move to walk away.

Now, it was Urahara's turn to frown. "Is there something else I can help you with, Hitsugaya-_taicho?_"

"_Ah._ I intend to retrieve Hinamori, so I need someone to create a _Garganta _for me. You're a scientist, I'm sure you can figure something out. Other then that any possible allies would be appreciated." He stated flatly as if it were a daily occurence one intedned to invade Las Noches.

Urahara looked at the boy dumbounded. He intended to invade Hueco Mundo, Las Noches even. On his own, likely not by the orders of Soul Society. Urahara knew Hitsugaya was hailed for being the best prodigy Shinigami Soul Society had ever produced. Nonetheless, this was madness. Hitsugaya was solidly defeated by the Arrancar that invaded Soul Society and now he intended to invade Las Noches?

He was certain Hitsugaya wasn't the kind of person that would go to such lengths to 'regain his honor' due to the lost battle. That in turn left only one reason why he would want to go. That reason was named Hinamori Momo. If Hitsugaya was willing to go to such lengths for the girl, it must mean that she was truly important to him. A childhood friend perhaps? A close relative? Whichever it was, considering Hitsugaya's reasons Urahara decided he couldn't deny the boy his right to go.

If she was as important to Hitsugaya as Urahara got the impression, this brought a whole new perspective to the reasons Aizen could've captured her. Aizen had always been very perspective. If Hinamori was this important to Hitsugaya, Aizen would've known. It could either be a trap, or more likely, Hinamori's way out of Las Noches without raising suspicion. So a spy after all then? Nonetheless, Aizen would be aware of the fact that she would be found out before long, it was merely a side objective, a nice bonus, to the mission he had sent Ichigo on.

Urahara would make sure though, that in case he was wrong, Hitsugaya wasn't alone. Soul Society couldn't afford to lose another Captain. So he decided to sent someone along with Hitsugaya.

Urahara's face took on a smile as he told the boy just what he intended to do. "Very well," He started. "I will help you, return here tomorrow with the intention of retrieving the report I wrote. I will open a _Garganta _to Hueco Mundo for you and any allies you might bring along. Other then that, I will send one or two others along with you."

As he said this he turned around and walked away. Hitsugaya meanwhile was looking at Urahara's retreating form with wide eyes. He had _not_ expected to be helped without some sort of argument or discussion. He had even thought of the possibility of having to fight Urahara for going against orders. Shaking his head, he turned around and walked. Urahara Kisuke was an interesting individual.

=0=

Kurosaki Ichigo was making his way back to his private quarters. He had just returned from his latest training session with Grimmjow and had left Ggio at the training grounds to continue training with one of Grimmjow's _Fracción_, Shawlong Kufang.

His training sessions with Grimmjow had been...worthwhile. At first Ichigo had actually been _bored _as he didn't want to inflict serious injury on Grimmjow. This only angered Grimmjow and caused him to push himself to his limits. Eventually Grimmjow managed to get Ichigo to start fighting seriously. This in turn resulted in Grimmjow being pounded into the ground repeatedly but after a while things did improve. Grimmjow managed to last longer against Ichigo longer and longer. Although admittedly this was more because of Grimmjow getting used to his fighting style rather then his improving powers.

Nonetheless, Ichigo was starting to enjoy their sessions. Grimmjow was without a doubt a hell of a lot stronger then Ggio and so Ichigo decided it was at the very least worthwhile.

Just this morning Ichigo had had another _Kidou _lesson from Aizen. It had taken a while for him to get used to the incredibly difficult eighty level spells he was now working on. He had to admit that Aizen had been right though,_ Hadou #88 - Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho_ was very similar to a _Cero._ Thus he hadn't needed as much time to learn it. Right now he was able to perform the _Kidou_ although he admittedly still required the use of the incantation.

When Aizen had taken notice of the fact that Ichigo didn't seem to have as much trouble with it as he should have he decided to switch spells after Ichigo had learned to use it with the incantation. After all, he already possessed abilities that were very similar to the _Hadou #88_. Admittedly it was a lot stronger then a regular _Cero_ but that aside it was only slightly stronger then a _Gran Rey Cero._

So Aizen had chosen to move on to _Bakudou #81 - Danku_ for the time being. Now this was a spell Ichigo truly had had trouble with. Considering the time it had taken him to learn even seventy level spells it was sort of depressing. It had taken him almost a full two hours to learn the spells _with _the incantation. At this point Aizen had left him alone and Ichigo had continued to practise in it's use only this time without the incantation.

From there on it had taken him another day to learn to use the spell without the use of an incation. Well, not exactly a day. Just a total of ten hours practise. He could use the spell without an incantation now, but it was by no means at the power it should be yet.

Noticing he was nearing his private quarters his thoughts had strayed to Nel. He hadn't seen her much in the last couple of his days. She had continued to attend his training sessions with Ggio and Grimmjow ofcourse but outside of that he hadn't seen her at all. He had to admit though this was mostly his own fault. He'd been training too much and as soon as he got in his quarters he simply decided to go to sleep.

He realised ful well that this was in fact, unacceptable. Nel was everything to him. Aizen might be the one where his loyalties lay but Aizen was by no means as important to him as Nel was. Ichigo had wondered many times that should a scenario ever occur where Aizen would order him to kill Nel, just how he would react to that. His first thoughts always were that Aizen's orders were not to be obeyed, no matter what they were. But he slowly started realizing that when it concerned Aizen and his orders he often hardly even thought about them, what Aizen said would be, that's all that had gone around in his head at those times. He had vowed that he would atleast think about that which he was supposed to do the next time though. That didn't mean he would ever think about disobeying though, he had sworn his loyalty after all, something he would probably regret for a long time to come.

As Ichigo entered his living quarters he was instantly engulfed in a bone-crushing hug by a pair of arms. He instantly knew it was Nel, no one other then her would even think about greeting him like that. One thing he couldn't help but wonder was why her usual hug wasn't accompanied by her high-pitched giggling and shouting of 'Ichi, Ichi!'.

He gently patted her back before pulling back to look at her face. Coming face-to-face with her serious expression he instantly knew something was wrong. And he had an inkling as to what it was. He knew now, that he hurt her more then he had thought by not seeing her for a couple of days.

"H-Hey Nel," Ichigo started, he decided to apologize right away. "I'm sorry about not seeing you for a few days. I've really only been sleeping and training. I intended to come over today though, I did miss you." He finished with a bit of an embarrassed smile on his face.

Nel slightly narrowed her eyes at him. If one didn't know Nel one wouldn't even notice. It was just one of the habits she probably wasn't even aware of herself. She let out a deep sight before she talked. "Here I was, intending to scold you properly for not showing up for days." She started, with a bit of annoyed tone in her voice. "But you know I can't be angry with you, it's okay Ichi, really." She finished with a small smile.

Ichigo returned the smile at this. She already called him by her favorite nickname again. He was glad she'd forgiven him this easily he hadn't really had a real fight with Nel, some arguments ofcourse but they were always solved easily enough. Or they weren't and they were simply forgotten.

"Just don't let it happen again." She spoke up once more.

He smiled at her and nodded. He didn't intend to, he had seen now that he had hurt her more then he had thought possible. If there was one thing he didn't like then it was to see Nelliel hurt.

"Where are Dondochakka and Pesche?" Ichigo asked, confused. Nelliel usually took them with her everywhere. They weren't alone too often and even less often because Nelliel intentionally didn't take them with her. Ichigo silently thought that it was because of the latter this time.

"I just wanted to spend some time with you alone Ichi," Nelliel said, looking away from him.

Now this did surprise Ichigo a little. That certainly was a new reason for not bringing them along. He didn't mind though, his training exercises, the _Kidou_ training in particular, was tiring and their antics could very well annoy him if he was already tired.

"Besides, I thought we had some things to discuss but you apologized before I could even get started." Nelliel said, a bit of an odd expression on her face. "I really didn't see that coming."

Ichigo chuckled at this. Moving over to the large sofa he lay down and patted the spot next to him, causing Nelliel to raise her eyebrows at him.

"I'm a little bit tired from training today," He explained. "I prefer to lie down but feel free to lie down next to me. I don't mind."

She smirked at this before she moved over to the sofa and lied down next to him, laying her head on his chest. It happened occassionally, mostly when Ichigo was tired. He'd lie down in the sofa instead of sit down and Nel would lay her head on his chest instead of his lap.

Feeling a pair of arms wrap around this torso he decided he'd forgot to add she often did that too. He didn't mind though, it was comfortable and warm. Ofcourse he wouldn't allow anyone other then Nel to get this comfortable with him but with her he truly didn't mind. She was almost like another body part of him. He knew then and there that he truly couldn't live without her.

And that was how he finally gained the answer to his question. The question he had been thinking about for days and nights. He had thought he had his answer and this had confirmed it. Should Aizen ever order him to execute Nelliel, he would refuse. He would take Nel and leave Las Noches. He would retreat to the deepest bowels of Hueco Mundo and await the inevitable arrival of Aizen or the Espada. He would fight for their lives but inevitably he would die. He was powerful but he knew he stood no chance against either Aizen or the entire Espada.

He wouldn't mind though. If he would ever get to choose how to die it would be by saving someone precious to him at the cost of his own life. Not following the orders of Aizen. No, he would prefer to die saving Nelliel or even Rukia.

"Ichi," Nel's voice shook him from his thoughts. "What do you think of Aizen?"

The question had surprised Ichigo. But he knew it shouldn't have. Nel wasn't the kind of person for war. Despite her strength. One day, Ichigo figured, she might even go as far as to directly disobey orders only to avoid spilling blood needlessly. He hoped that day would never come.

"We swore loyalty to him Nel," Ichigo said, "It doesn't really matter what I think of him."

Nel frowned at this. Ichigo wasn't one to refuse to tell her something, but before she could comment on it he continued. Much to her delight.

"Nonetheless I will tell you, " He started again, "Despite how long we've been Arrancar and despite how long Aizen has already been here. He has yet to tell us of his true goal. But I know it will be something I'm not going to like. My Aspect isn't the Aspect of Life for nothing Nel. I wouldn't want to spill blood needlessly. Because Aizen wants me to isn't a reason to spill blood for me. Yet, I can't do anything about it. I, and you too, have sworn loyalty to him and so I can't disobey him." Ichigo explained.

Nelliel sighed at this. She had expected it but she was dissapointed nonetheless. She had sworn loyalty to Aizen to be rid of the ever-lasting hunger that any Hollow suffers of and to a lesser extent also to see Ichigo develop into who he was today. Right now she was glad she had accepted because Ichigo meant the world to her. But she didn't want to serve Aizen. Like Ichigo said, whatever his goal was, she was sure she wouldn't like it.

She also knew that Ichigo was getting into a dangerous position. Aizen had always said that the emotion Arrancar displayed was what made them different from ordinary Hollow. Yet, at the same time, Nel knew that Aizen wasn't pleased with the amount of emotion she and Ichigo were showing. In her thinking she had gone as far as to believe that Aizen might be willing to dispose of her to make sure Ichigo said under his firm control. Ofcourse he would make it look like an accident, or even better, he would make it so that a Shinigami finished her off. She sighed deeply before burrowing her head in the crook of Ichigo's neck.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was distracted by his own thoughts. He thought he knew why Nel had asked him that question. She felt the same way about Aizen. But there was more to it then just that.

Ichigo knew that Aizen wasn't fine with the amount of emotion Ichigo displayed. Going as far as to allow Nel to support him after his mission. At the same time Ichigo couldn't help but wonder what the actual purpose of his mission had been. Of what use could one puny Vice-Captain really be? He reckoned it might've been some sort of test of his loyalty, if it had been then he had succeeded.

But even if it hadn't been he knew Aizen had been keeping tabs on him ever since that mission. He was being watched and monitored closely. The only place he was never watched was his own private quarters. This only proved to him that Aizen had started doubting his use. He had never thought that he would ever be discarded. He was Aizen's trumph card after all. But he knew better now. He would remain loyal to Aizen though and he would continue to do so unless Aizen ever chose to betray him. But not only him, Ichigo vowed to protect Nelliel, she was everything to him, if Aizen ever laid a finger on her Ichigo vowed he would become the man's worst nightmare.

"Nelliel," Ichigo started, causing her to look up at him. "My loyalty lies with Aizen but I promise you, if he ever betrays you or me I will leave Las Noches and make him regret he ever laid a finger on either of us."

Nelliel smiled at him and crawled up to give him a kiss on the cheek before tightening her hold on him and closing her eyes.

=0=

Aizen was silently making his way over to the quarters that had been assigned to Hinamori Momo. Gin was walking by his side. Kaname was absent as he had been sent out with Ulquiorra into Hueco Mundo.

Even now Aizen was still looking for a big part of the remaining Vasto Lordes. Most declined his offer and Aizen didn't really have any intention of taking them out unless they acted against him first.

Shaking his head he returned his thoughts to Hinamori Momo. He had found a use for her after all. At first he merely intended to discard her right away. Then he eventually believed she might succeed at spying, even if only for a while.

But now he had come up with something that would be worth the time and effort. Hinamori had always been a talented Shinigami and her skill in _Kidou_ was downright prodigious. He would allow her to be retaken to Soul Society after she had been rescued. First though he needed to sway her to his side once more. It wouldn't be too hard Aizen believed. Her loyalty was truly an obsession.

When Hinamori returned to Soul Society she would be spying for him. But it wouldn't be long before she found out. If she wanted a safe return to Hueco Mundo before she would have to learn to control it. It was a very tight time frame and she would not be able to learn to control it within the time given unless she truly gave her all.

Aizen let a slight grin adorn the features on his face as his hand closed around the object in his pocket. The object that had made all that Aizen had done so far possible. The Hougyoku.

=0=

Hitsugaya Toushirou angrily made his way to the Senkaimon. Just a day before he had requested a rescue mission to retrieve Hinamori from Las Noches. It had been denied and he was downright pissed.

Most of the Captains in attendance at said meeting had looked at him as if he were crazy. Well, it was understandable though. After all, what did they know of Aizen's forces? They knew only of a single individual. For all they knew there could be more of those, as unlikely as it was.

He was still annoyed though. It seemed that he had to go to Hueco Mundo on his own after all. Well that wasn't exactly true either. Urahara had told him he would send a man or two along with him. Hitsugaya just hoped it wouldn't be any of the teens. He didn't really have anything against them but it was obvious to any Shinigami worth his salt that both Yoruichi, Isshin and Tessai were far more powerful.

He was shaken from his thoughts by a loud voice just as he arrived at the Senkaimon.

"Oi! _Juubantai-taicho[1]_." The voice rang out.

Looking up, Hitsugaya was startled to see Zaraki Kenpachi, _Juuichibantai-taicho[2]_ as well as Ayasegawa Yumichika, Eleventh Divison's Fifth Seat and Madarame Ikkaku, Eleventh Division's Third Seat standing in front of the Senkaimon he was supposed to leave through.

Realising he had been caught he instantly grasped the hilt of his sword.

"Tch. We ain't here to fight you." Kenpachi told him. "Las Noches is where you're going, right? If that's where that guy who beat both you and the _nibantai-taicho[3]_ is then I'm coming with you." Kenpachi finished, grinning widely.

Hitsugaya meanwhile, could only stare dumbfounded at the trio from the Eleventh Division.

=0=

No more then half an hour later the four of them stood in the basement of Urahara Kisuke's home. Around them stood Shihouin Yoruichi, Tsukabishi Tessai, Kurosaki Isshin, Yasutora Sado, Inoue Orihime and Urahara Kisuke.

This did confuse Hitsugaya as he was they weren't all coming. Deciding to take the straightforward approach he opened his mouth.

"Urahara Kisuke," Hitsugaya started, gaining the attention of everyone present. "Who else did you find that is willing to come along?"

Urahara scratched his head at this, a dumb look on his face. "Well the truth is everyone here is _willing_ to come." Urahara said. "But I won't allow that." Before Hitsugaya got a chance to react or even frown at this statement Urahara continued. "Some of them simply aren't ready for a battle of that caliber and ofcourse I also need to keep some people about in case Aizen attacks Karakura Town."

Closing his eyes and letting out a sigh he nodded. "Alright, who is it?"

Kurosaki Isshin instantly stepped forward. Hitsugaya instantly felt relief flood his system. He didn't know much about the man but what he _did_ know was all positive. He realised the man had been beaten soundly by Tousen Kaname but he was also aware of the fact that Isshin hadn't even been in his Shinigami form for well over twenty years. Taking the explosions he had heard in the basement the other day in mind he was sure the man had been training.

Returning his attention to the man assembled he spoke up. "All of you are aware of our mission's goals?" He asked them.

The trio from Eleventh Division didn't even reply to his question Isshin nodded with a serious expression. Hitsugaya personally thought that Kenpachi, Madarame and Ayasegawa had only come to fight or perhaps in Ayasegawa's case to help out his Captain and Third Seat.

Even so, it didn't matter. He could use all the help he could get.

Locking eyes with Urahara he nodded once. Signifying that they were ready. As the large _Garganta _opened up in front of them he silently wondered if he even knew what they were getting themselves into.

=0=

**[1]Juubantai-taicho** : Tenth Division Captain.

**[2]Juuichibantai-taicho **: Eleventh Division Captain.

**[3]Nibantai-taicho **: Second Division Captain.

=0=

_Another chapter's done. As I stated at the start of this chapter I am leaving on a vacation for a little over two weeks this Thursday night. This will be the last chapter I will write untill then. You can expect me back around the 17th of August though ofcourse that doesn't mean a new chapter will be up by that day yet either._

_Secondly let me personally thank you for all the fantastic reviews I have gotten over the (Two? Two and a half?) weeks. Ever since I started this story I have managed to continue it with pleasure thanks to all of you. You are the ones who inspire me to keep updating at such a fast pace and I thoroughly enjoy reading each and every one of your reviews. So, thanks!_

_Next I am going to list a couple of questions that I would like an answer to. I would very much appreciate it if as much of you reviewers as possible could provide me with answers to these questions. They are questions that I feel are important I know an answer to if I want to continue this story in such a way that you will all keep enjoying it._

_1. What do you think of character deaths? This could mean absolutely any character. Shinigami Captains, Espada, Ichigo's old friends or family, Rukia, even Ichigo or Nel themselves. _

_2. What do you think of the story so far? What did you like? What didn't you like? What do you feel I should work on as a writer. Is there anything in the storyline so far that you feel needs to be worked at?_

_3. What are your thoughts on side pairings? So far I don't have any intention to introduce any. Though perhaps I could be swayed in doing so should the demand be high enough and should I be willing to._

_4. How would YOU like to see the story end? I personally have already thought of an ending that I believe is both fitting and original but nonetheless I would like to hear your thoughts on it._

_5. And lastly, similar to the previous question. Is there any particular way one would like to see the story progress from here? Once again I have already planned this out and while I can no longer be swayed into making the story turn into a certain direction it does interest me to know what you readers would like to see._

_Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter of my story. Expect the next one to be up anywhere between two and three weeks._

_Ja ne!_

_~Bruuz_


	14. Father and son, reunited!

**Chapter 13: Father and son, reunited!**

_I apologize in advance for the time it took me to get this chapter up. Why will be explained down below in the author notes. Furthermore I will not answer any reviews this once, mostly because there are simply too much (I blame myself for this because I took so damn long in working this chapter out!). Answering too many reviews would end up in a messy-looking chapter as well as mess up the word count of the actual story. With that out of the way, all I have left to say is enjoy the read. I made this chapter extra long both because I had a lot of things to work out in this chapter as well as I feel I have something to make up to all of you._

=0=

Ichigo was seated in the Espada meeting room. As usual he sat at Aizen's right side, with Nel seated next to him, at his own right side.

Aizen had called them all here for an urgent meeting. He had arrived no more then a few minutes ago and now that they were all seated and everyone had their tea, Ichigo expected Aizen would soon start speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Espada," Aizen started. "We are under attack."

Several eyebrows rose at Aizen's statement and some eyes widened slightly. Ichigo for his part was surprised as well, even though this didn't show on his face. He certainly hadn't expected this. Attacking Las Noches, the self-proclaimed Capital of Hueco Mundo, was a dangerous move. It was unlikely anyone could pull off such a stunt and live to tell the tale, especially after Aizen had taken up residence in the fortress and had thrown both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo in disarray. Ichigo decided to wait for Aizen to elaborate.

"But there is no need to worry. You are safe, as long as you are with me."

There were no outward signs of reaction to Aizen's comment on any of the Espada's faces. But Ichigo knew that the opinions about Aizen's words would differ greatly among many of the Espada, even if it didn't show.

"Kaname," Aizen's voice rang out again as he locked eyes with Tousen before giving a slight nod in the man's direction.

Tousen seemed to understand what Aizen meant with the gesture. He slowly walked over to the wall behind Aizen and opened a small hatch in the wall before taking out what looked like some sort of remote control. After he pressed a couple of buttons another hatch opened, this time in the middle of the table. An image was immediately projected in mid-air just above the hatch. Ichigo recognised the area that was shown instantly but more importantly he recognized two out of the five Shinigami that were shown.

The first was the white haired kid he fought in Soul Society. Juubantai-taicho Hitsugaya Toushirou. Soul Society's child prodigy.

The second person however was a real shock. Ichigo's eyes visibly widened as he recognized the man that used to be his father, Kurosaki Isshin. Dressed in a Shinigami's shihakusyou and what looked like a Captain's haori draped over his left shoulder. Another eyecatching addition was the enormous cleaver-like Zanpakutou which hung on his back.

Ichigo was shocked. His father, no the man that used to be his father, was a Shinigami? The goofy old man Ichigo had gotten slightly reacquainted with through his regained memory of his life before he became a Hollow, was a Shinigami? On top of that Ichigo knew he had to be a powerful one at that.

To start off with there was the bandaged cleaver-like Zanpakutou. Ichigo knew most of the stronger Shinigami were able to, by effectively using their reiatsu, increase or decrease the length of their Zanpakutou. He was sure however, that the shape could not be controlled to the extent displayed in Kurosaki Isshin's Zanpakutou. Thus, this lead Ichigo to believe it had to be one of the rarer permanently released Zanpakutou. While Shikai wasn't near enough to beat an Espada it was still proof that the man was an experienced Shinigami.

What troubled Ichigo the most however was the tattered piece of clothing that much resembled a Captain's Haori draped over the man's left shoulder. He had never heard of, nor seen the item worn like that. Nonetheless it was proof that his father was powerful by Shinigami standards.

He shook his head and returned his eyes to the projector. The remaining three he didn't instantly recognize. Juding by the Captain's Haori, hairstyle and brutish looks Ichigo believed one of the tree was Juuichibantai-taicho Zaraki Kenpachi.

One of the two remaining men was a bald Shinigami with small but distinctive red markings near his eyes.

The second of the two remaining unkown Shinigami had a rather eccentric appearance. He wore an orange piece of clothing around his neck on top of his Shinigami's _sihakusyou_. He had what appeared to be a pair of colourful feathers on his right eyelashes and eyebrow. The man had shiny skin and jaw-length hair. To Ichigo his appearance seemed rather feminine.

"They are Juubantai-taicho Hitsugaya Toushirou, Juuichibantai-taicho Zaraki Kenpachi, Kurosaki Isshin," at the mention of the last name most of the Espada turned to look at Ichigo. When Ichigo was about to respond to their annoying looks he felt a small hand on his leg. Looking over to his right he saw Nel looking at him with a worried expression. He smiled gratefully at her and she squeezed his leg lightly before returning the smile. Ichigo put his larger hand on top of hers and returned the squeeze before turning his attention to the table in front of him with an impassive expression.

"Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika." Aizen continued as if nothing had happened. "They have likely come here to rescue their recently captured comrade, Hinamori Momo."

"Tch, haven't they learned anything after Kurosaki single-handedly kicked the asses of two of their Captains?" Grimmjow's voice rang out loudly.

"I agree with Grimmjow," Zommari's deep voice rang out. "Have Shinigami become this arrogant? To believe they could stand up to all of the forces within Las Noches with just the five of them?"

Several of the Espada nodded in agreement. Aizen however, merely smirked. "We will allow them to take our prisoner back to Soul Society." He spoke up, much to the surprise of most present.

"What?!" Grimmjow all but shouted. "First you send Kurosaki to bring her here and now you will just allow them to take her back with a fight? Are you growing weak Aizen?!" Grimmjow yelled, outraged.

The tension was palpable in the air after Grimmjow's disrespectful outburst. Tousen's hand instantly grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakutou. Ichigo, who noticed this, decided to intervene.

"Grimmjow," He started, gaining everyone's, including Tousen's attention. "Be wary of who you are speaking to. I am sure Aizen-sama has his reasons."

His words seemed to calm Grimmjow down somewhat as he grit his teeth in frustration and finally tore his gaze away from Aizen.

"Arrigatou, Ichigo," Aizen started again. "I have my reasons Grimmjow. But you need not concern yourself with those. However, whoever said there would be no fighting?" Aizen finished with the smallest hint of a smile.

At this the Espada's heads perked and Grimmjow's visibly shot up in the air, a wide grin could be seen sported on his face.

"Yammy, Grimmjow, Ichigo. I have a mission for the three of you."

=0=

Rukia was breathing heavily as she stood in front of her Nii-sama Kuchiki Byakuya. Her clothing was slightly torn and some minor cuts and bruises could be seen sported across her entire body. Despite her obviously battle-weary condition the grip on her Zanpakutou was still firm and her battle stance remained solid.

Much to her surprise, her brother had started training with her the very first day after he confessed the true reason of her adoption to her.

_[Flashback:]_

_Rukia was walking across the training grounds of the Kuchiki Estate with her brother walking slightly in front of her. She was a bit confused when he had asked her to join him for a walk. After all it had been no more then a day ago that he had confessed to her the true reasons for her adoption and the voews he had made to both his parents and his former wife Hisana, Rukia's older sister._

"_Defend yourself." Her brother's voice rang out suddenly._

_Before she even got a chance to figure out the meaning behind his words he disappeared in a flash of Shunpo. Her hand instantly went to the hilt of her Zanpakutou as she finally realised the implication behind his words. Before she got any further then drawing her sword a mere inch from it's scabbard though she felt the touch of cold steel against her throat._

"_Had you reacted the second you heard my words you might have gotten as far as actually drawing your sword." Her brother told her with him expression as impassive as always._

_Rukia's shoulders sagged. She had disappointed her brother once again. How could she ever hope to become powerful enough to hold herself to the silent vow she had made to herself if she couldn't even draw her sword from it's scabbard in time?_

"_Still, considering the fact you didn't decipher the meaning behind my words until I Shunpo'd your performance was rather impressive."_

_Her eyes widened in surprise at his statement and for the first time since her adoption in the Kuchiki Clan she felt like she could, one day, actually truly be accepted in it._

"_But don't let that get to your head. I will be the first to admit that you are far too powerful to be an unseated member. The reason you are, is of course my fault, but if you wish to become truly powerful there is still a lot of work to be done."_

_Rukia's eyes widened. Her brother seemed to know a lot more then he let on. She silently wondered if he got the information from her Captain or if he was just this perceptive. If it was her Captain he got the information for there might be a lot more that he knew. Just how much did he know exactly?_

_While she had a newfound sense of respect for him and even felt a new sense of kinship for the man she didn't think it would be wise if he knew of her true feelings towards Kurosaki Ichigo. Who had become rather infamous all around Soul Society. It wasn't too surprising considering the fact he had solidly defeated two Captains at the same time._

"_Did I surprise you, Rukia?" Byakuya started. "While I have not been particularly close to you over the years I do price myself as being rather observant."_

_Rukia closed her eyes and nodded in understand, as well as a bit of silent relief. It seems that what her brother knew were only those things he had figured out himself. So far he knew at least part of the truth. She decided that perhaps she too should show some more trust in her brother. After all, considering the information he had shared with her no less then a day before she owed him that much at the very least._

_She raised her head and met her brothers gaze as she started speaking. "I made a vow to someone." She started. "A vow to become stronger, strong enough to come out of this war alive."_

_Her brother raised an eyebrow at this but other then that his facial expression remained stoic. Most people would believe he hadn't about the words she'd spoken just now. But she knew better then that. She knew his true emotions were merely hidden behind he mask of impassiveness. And she knew her brother knew exactly who the person was that she had made this promise to._

"_But silently I made another vow to myself," She continued, almost in a whisper as she looked down to the ground. "I promised myself that I would get stronger not only to make it out of this war alive. Above all I want to get strong enough to make sure he too, survives this war, strong enough to make a difference."_

_Byakuya's eyes softened somewhat as she said this. "To protect those closest to you, that is the embodiment of true strength. I would have done anything to protect Hisana. If this Kurosaki Ichigo is that important to you then perhaps he is more then just a lowly Hollow."_

_Rukia smiled at him sadly. She knew it was one of the greatest compliments, coming from her brother. She was well aware of his view on Hollow and had unconsciously still feared how he would react to her statement. Her fears had proved to be unnecessary though._

"_You realise, Rukia," Her brother started, regaining her attention. "That to make a true difference will require a strength that far surpasses your current level? A strength that very few people in all of Soul Society can ever hope to achieve? You realise, that to make a real difference will require the strength of a Captain of the Gotei 13?"_

_She had dreaded hearing this. She had known of course that it was true. But she was afraid her brother didn't think she had it in her to go that far. Once again lowering her gaze to the ground she slowly nodded._

_Byakuya remained silent at this for a while before his facial expression shifted from impassive to what seemed to be dead-serious."If your resolve is truly as strong as you have made me believe so far then I believe you have it in you, Rukia." He said with the smallest hint of a smile adorning his facial features._

_Rukia's eyes visibly widened in both relief and surprise. It wouldn't have surprised her if her eyes had even started to water after his statement. Inwardly her chest swelled with pride. Before she got a chance to express her gratitude for his compliment however her brother's face once again became serious._

"_But let me ask you something first, Rukia," Her brother said as he looked her straight in the eyes. "If you were to face him in battle could you possibly give it all you have? Could you possibly fight him without holding back?"_

_Rukia's first thought was to tell him that it wouldn't happen. They wouldn't face each other in battle and that was all there was to it. She knew he wouldn't seek her out on the battlefield and she certainly wouldn't seek him out either. But she knew from personal experience that things didn't always go the way you had planned. Things weren't always as easy as they sounded at first. She didn't think Ichigo for one could ever disobey a direct order from Aizen for example. But then, she remembered something important. She remembered how Ichigo had told her that if he were to die in battle he would want his death to be by her blade. She smiled sadly as she remembered the words he'd spoken to her that day._

"_Ah. If I were forced into a confrontation with Ichigo I would give it all I have and more." She said, before silently adding. "I owe him that much, at least."_

_Byakuya raised an eyebrow at this but decided not to press her on the issue when she chose to remain silent._

"_Very well then. I will hold you to your word, Rukia." He said with a stern expression before turning around to make his way back to the estate. After only a few steps in the estate's direction however he stopped. Turning his head around he locked his eyes with Rukia._

"_I believe I can help you. Meet me again at this training ground, tonight at eight p.m."_

_[End Flashback:]_

"Your attention is wavering, Rukia," Her brother's voice called out to her, shaking her from her thoughts.

"I'm so-" She started but was quickly cut off.

"Do not worry about it. We have been working for a couple of hours now, let us take a break." Byakuya said as he sat down on the ground.

Rukia walked over and sat down on a spot close to him. Servants soon came rusing over and handed them each a bottle of water and a damp towel.

"You have done well over the past days, Rukia. You have exceeded my expectations time and time again. At this rate I believe the next phase of your training may be reached sooner then anticipated. Perhaps in a couple of weeks even, rather then months." Byakuya told her.

At the mention of the next phase she shouldn't help but think back to that first night he had asked her to meet him at the Kuchiki training grounds. They had sat down and discussed her upcoming training well until midnight. Her brother had started with an evaluation of her current skills. He had told her that while her _Zanjutsu_ was adequate it wasn't much better then that of the average Third or Fourth seat. He had also told her thought that she couldn't do much about that. Her small frame and light body greatly reduced the power of her strikes. He had concluded that it would be wise to train her in a style that relied on swift strikes and deadly precision combined with a very proficient use of_ Shunpo_.

She had readily agreed to this but hesitantly admitted that while her _Shunpo_ wasn't by any means bad, she didn't think she was good enough with it to allow her to use a style such as the one her brother intended to teach her efficiently.

Her brother had then told her that he would teach her about Shunpo in a way that wasn't taught to anyone in the academy. Making her believe there was a lot more to Shunpo then she had originally believed. She wouldn't know just how right she was about this until the next day. Her small frame and light weight combined with the new methods of and aspects her brother taught her had allowed her to increase in this field at an exponential rate. He had told her that if she continued to improve at such a rate she would eventually become one of the most proficient users of _Shunpo_ in all of Soul Society. Second only to Byakuya himself and Goddess of Flash, Shihouin Yoruichi.

The next issue they had addressed were her poor skills in _hakuda_. Byakuya had admitted he wasn't too proficient in this field himself but nonetheless he did believe he could teach her a thing or two about it. He also told her that this particular field likely didn't suit her too well. If she truly had more interest in it though, her brother told her to request some training together with Soifon's Secret Mobile Corps.

After they finished on the topic of _hakuda_ they moved on to the one Rukia had been looking forward to: _Kidou_. It was the one field she believed she actually excelled at. Her brother told her so as well and promised her he would teach her some higher level spells eventually and possibly even some Kidou that wasn't commonly taught to anyone but Captains or higher-ranked members of the Kidou Corps. One other thing he promised her was that he wouldn't teach her any new spells before she learned to use all the _Kidou_ spells she currently knew without the use of the incantation.

Eventually Byakuya addressed two other subjects she hadn't really expected. They were stamina and reiatsu.

Her brother believed she would gain stamina extensively through the use of both her Zanjutsu and Hoho training. He didn't believe it was an issue that needed to be addressed individually and so they left it at that.

Her reiatsu however was another matter entirely. Admittedly, Byakuya did tell her her reiatsu was at about the level of the average Vice-Captain. But they both knew that the amount of reiatsu of a Vice-Captain compared to that of a Captain-level Shinigami would hardly even register. So a lot of work had to be done in that field. Generally, ones reiatsu would steadily increase throughout a Shinigami's life, as well as when they grow more connected with their Zanpakutou. Her brother however told that there were other methods. The one they would be use was a method that would help increase it at a fairly quick pace. During her _Kidou_ training she would force herself to the point of near total depletion. A nearly completely depleted reiatsu pool would return bigger then it was before after no more then a couple of hours sleep.

This brought them to what her brother called the second stage of her training. A point which she could not do without if she wanted to reach the level of a Captain-class Shinigami. The point that was known as the very pinnacle of a Shinigami's strength and potential. Bankai.

She had told him how she had reached materialization and was ready to receive the task from her Zanpakutou spirit, Sode no Shirayuki, any day now. The reaction she had gotten from her brother had surprised her.

Her brother had explicitly forbidden her to start the task her Zanpakutou spirit would set for her until he deemed her ready. When she had asked him why he had sighed but started explaining nonetheless. He told her how some tasks set by Zanpakutou spirits could not be ended until they were completed, failure often resulting in death. How most of the tasks put the Shinigami's life at risk in one way or another. Most tasks also held some sort of time limit and in some rare cases the tasks could only be performed once. Failure resulting in either death or the inability to ever achieve Bankai for the rest of their lives. He also told her how there were actually a fair amount of Shinigami in Soul Society who eventually reached materialization of their Zanpakutou. It was often the task set by their spirit that was fatal. Few lived to tell others about their task and those that did usually chose not to speak about it. The few that lived were the few that were allowed the honor of going into history as one of Soul Society's strongest Shinigami.

Rukia had swallowed heavily and as if to emphasize his point her brother had told her how his own pride and arrogance had nearly gotten him killed when he took his test before he was ready once. He had been young and arrogant and believed he could take on the world on his own. It had been nothing but dumb lack that he lived through his first test and even more luck that he was allowed to take the test again another time.

Rukia had once more swallowed heavily after she heard this and when he asked her if she understood she quickly nodded.

Returning to the world of the living Rukia smiled softly at the memory. She had improved greatly as the days had passed. Her Hoho skills were at an entirely different level. Though her small frame and light body allowed her to progress in that particular field at a peace that was practically unheard of.

Her remaining skills were progressing at a steady pace as well. She had to admit though that she had come detest her Kidou practise sessions which were scheduled at the end of every day. They always left her close to completely reiatsu depleted. It was on purpose ofcourse but she still hated the feeling. It was almost impossible to even walk back to the mansion and climb in her bed at the end of the day.

Remembering her brother had complimented her she looked up to meet his eyes before answering. "Arrigatou, Nii-sama."

He in turn merely nodded at her. He seemed about to speak up again when they were distracted by the sound of footsteps heading their way. Simultaneously turning their heads in the direction of the sound Rukia immediately recognized the figure of her own Captain, Ukitake Juushirou. He was casually strolling down the path leading towards the Kuchiki Estate's training grounds.

Upon seeing him Rukia shot up, momentarily forgetting the fatigue of a couple of hours of training, and shouted a loud: "Ukitake-taicho!"

Ukitake for his part merely smiled at her enthusiastic greeting as she approached him. "Rukia, I hope you are doing well? And perhaps even more importantly, how has your training been going until now?"

Rukia had, just days previously, requested an extended leave from duty so as to allow her more time to train. Ukitake had instantly granded her three months on the condition that by the end of this time she'd have attained Bankai. It appeared this had been a joke though as her Captain had winked at her as he said this, as if to let her know he wasn't too serious about the last part.

Remembering his question she nodded at him and immediately launched into a detailed explanation of what she had done so far and what more she intended to improve upon. As she finished her explanation a little while later the two of them were joined by Byakuya. He too greeted Ukitake, albeit in a more formal manner.

When the two Captains engaged in some small talk about some seemingly unimportant issues there was still one thing that puzzled Rukia. What was her Captain doing here? If he had come to inform her brother of something he would've cut the small talk by now. Captain business wasn't often something that could be put on hold. She couldn't imagine he had come here just to check up on her training either. While Ukitake certainly was that kind of person, being a Captain simply didn't allow him the time for it.

Deciding to cut to the chase she spoke up. "Excuse me for my rudeness," She didn't continue until she was sure his attention was on her, it was considered rude to interrupt two Captains engaged in a conversation but she knew her Captain wouldn't mind. "But, why are you here, Ukitake-taicho?"

After asking the question she blushed a deep shade of red, obviously ashamed of her bold and rather rude question. She instantly tore her gaze away from the two Captains and looked to the ground.

Her Captain however, merely smiled at her before he replied. "You should loosen up a bit, Rukia," He started with a bright smile. "But to answer your question. I've come here to offer you to the position of Thirteenth Division Vice-Captain."

=0=

Kurosaki Isshin was glad that after what could've been days he finally raised his gaze to look upon the grand iron gates of Hueco Mundo's self-proclaimed fortress capital, Las Noches.

Their journey there had been rather uneventful. They had ran into virtually no enemy forces whatsoever, it was almost as if Aizen was inviting them inside. Isshin was certain that Aizen was aware of their presence but the fact that he wasn't taking any action didn't bode well at all. Isshin would've prefered to have to fight his way here, anything was better then this silence before the storm.

Their small invasion force had been very optimistic after they had first arrived in Hueco Mundo. They had arrived in one of the underground tunnels leading to Las Noches. It hadn't been long however before they encountered their first and untill now, last opposition. They were two Arrancar going by the names of Iceringer and Demora, both looked and in the end, were, rather weak.

They had been effortlessly disposed of by Zaraki Kenpachi and Madarame Ikkaku, both had been eager to test their respective powers against Aizen's Arrancar. Truth be told they had been dissapointed by the lack of strength the two Arrancar had displayed even though the two managed to collapse the underground tunnels to Las Noches in a last ditch effort to take their enemies with them but nonetheless the invasion force in general had been relieved.

While the powers of each of the individual members were impressive, their numbers were few. Isshin had been wary of the strength of Aizen's Arrancar. Going by the strength his son Ichigo displayed against his former friends in the real world they appeared to be very powerful. From the reports Isshin had received from the three teens Ichigo appeared very much like a normal human being and was even wearing what appeared to be a Shinigami's Zanpakutou.

The Arrancar they had encountered however didn't look like they had any human forms whatsoever. Other then that they didn't wield Zanpakutou either. Something was off about that but he couldn't lay his finger on it.

Urahara had however told Isshin several things. To start off with Urahara suspected that Arrancar were in many ways very similar to Vaizards. Vaizards could call upon their Hollow powers to increase their strength exponentially. It would only be logical to assume that Arrancar had a similar ability, which would mean that his son hadn't shown his true colors yet either.

Another thing Urahara suspected was that among Aizen would have formed some sort of top among his army. His strongest soldiers brought together, likely in a similar way to Soul Society's Captains of the Gotei 13. Urahara had believed that Ichigo and the woman that had been with him were part of this top, but he had no proof to support his theory.

Isshin sighed wearily, the mood among their party had gradually decreased as the days passed. No sign of any enemies and the walls of Las Noches never seemed to be growing any closer. The tension was thick and Zaraki and Madarame in particular had been very annoyed with the lack of battle opportunity presenting itself.

Isshin, and Hitsugaya too however had felt the same tension although for entirely different reasons. They knew that Aizen had to be aware of their location and yet they hadn't encountered any resistance. It was obvious they were being led into a trap.

As if answering Isshin's thoughts a loud noise of metal grinding against stone interupted him from his thoughts. Looking up, he could clearly see the metal gates of Las Noches main entrance opening.

All five of them were instantly on guard, hands on the hilts of their Zanpakutous, ready for battle at a moment's notice. Looking over to his left he could see Hitsugaya standing next to him, a determined expression on his face.

When the gate finally opened completely it revealed two figures standing right in front of them. Both of them were grinning as if christmas had come early.

One of the two had light blue spiky hair with green lines below his eyes. He wore a white vest, which was opened and exposed his bare muscled chest as well as the hollow hole located on his abdomen. He had a remnant of his former hollow mask in the form of a right jawbone.

The other was a giant dark-skinned Arrancar. He had long bushy sideburns and a thin ponytail could be seen only just, but other then that he appeared to be bald. The man also had orange eyebrows and red markings beneath his eyes. Like the other Arrancar next to him he wore a similar vest, exposing his muscular chest for all to see as well as a hollow hole in the middle of his chest. Last he too had a mask fragment that consisted of his entire lower jawbone resting on his chin.

"Tch." The blue haired Arrancar said, grabbing everyone's attention. "So you're the kid that got his ass kicked by Ichigo, you've got some nerve coming back for more." The Arrancar spoke up as he looked at Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya in turn grit his teeth in anger at the remark. Though wether it was for being called a kid or because of being reminded to his humiliating defeat at the hands of Isshin's son, Isshin would never know. He guessed it was probably a bit of both.

"You better be more powerful than the last two of you Arrancar we encountered," Zaraki's voice spoke up. "It'll ruin the fun if you aren't." The man finished with a wide grin on his face as he unsheated his Zanpakutou.

The blue-haired Espada in turn, laughed loudly at Zaraki's statement. "Iceringer and Demora? They were weaklings! They discarded their human forms because they were too weak to defeat anyone without using their _resurección_!" Grimmjow shouted out, laughing madly all the while.

_'Resurección?'_ Isshin thought. That was a word Isshin hadn't heard before. But it seemed that the Arrancar did have a way to power-up after all, most likely similar to that of a Vaizard.

"Good! So that means you'll live longer as I cut you up, right Arrancar?!" Zaraki shouted grinning, in return.

The blue-haired Espada's eyes narrowed and he was about to shout something in return when Isshin motioned for Zaraki to quiet down for a bit. The Arrancar, who took this as a sign Isshin was about to say something seemed to swallow his words as well.

"What do you know about Kurosaki Ichigo?" Isshin spoke up, a serious edge in his voice.

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed for a second before he replied. "Tch. Like I'll tell you."

Isshin had expected something along those lines but he was sure he could force something out of the Arrancar one way or another. "Then perhaps I should force it out of you," He said as he grabbed Zangetsu's hilt and slightly bend his knees in preparation of a battle stance.

"Heh! Perhaps you should!" Grimmjow shouted with a grin. "But you should know that Aizen-sama has asked me to tell you something."

At the mention of Aizen, Hitsugaya's expression darkened and the remaining Shinigami all narrowed their eyes.

"He said, that if you wanted to rescue that Shinigami bitch of yours," Hitsugaya's expression turned one of outright fury, "You should head through that door." He said, pointing to a door behind him. "Head through it and continue going in a straight line, if you do that you will end up at a dead end with a door right in front of your nose. That's where she's kept."

Isshin's eyes narrowed. It was clear Aizen was playing some sort of game with them, going as far as to tell them where they could find Hinamori. But another possibility was that he _wanted _Hinamori returned to Soul Society. Isshin personally was starting to believe the last one was more likely to be true.

"Thank you for showing us the way, Arrancar. But it makes no-" Isshin started before he was cut off again by the same Arrancar.

"I wasn't finished yet!" He shouted, angrily. "Aizen said that you had one hour exactly to find her and take her out of Las Noches. If the hour passes and you are still here..." Grimmjow said, leaving the unspoken consequences hanging in the air. All of them could probably guess what would happen then. Nonetheless, what could Aizen possibly gain by this?

"Good!" The excited voice of Madarame Ikkaku called out, speaking for the first time since encountering the two Arrancar. "Hitsugaya-_taicho, _Yumichika, Kurosaki, you continue on, me and the Captain will take care of these two!"

Said Shinigami merely nodded at Ikkaku before speeding off.

"Ha!" The loud voice of the bald Arrancar, who spoke up for the first time as well called out. "They're leaving only _two_ to fight us? And only _one_ Captain? This won't even be good enough for a warm-up."

His words instantly caused the remaining three to halt. This Arrancar at least knew what a Captain was. Knowing about Captains he was sure to know about their strength, considering Aizen was their leader. Could it be? Could these Arrancar all be as powerful as Ichigo appeared to be?

As if reading their mind. Grimmjow answered the unspoken question. "Heh. Not all Arrancar are as powerful as we are, if that is what you're thinking." He spoke up, causing relief to show on Isshin's face. "We're part of the Espada, the absolute best among all the Arrancar." He said and when it seemed he wanted to continue he paused again for a small moment as he grit his teeth in frustration before continuing. "But even among the Espada, there are those that are on a completely different level. I don't easily admit weakness but I can tell you this: Among all of the Espada there is at least one of them that is more powerful then I am." He spoke these words while looking up into the sky all the while, not once making eye contact with anyone, as if it were a disgrace to admit such a weakness.

Hitsugaya who seemed to decide they had dawdled enough nodded once at Yumichika, letting him know that it would be him who would stay here.

Yumichika nodded once in return before halting his step. He continued to look at the backs of Kurosaki Isshin and Hitsugaya Toushirou for a mere moment more as they sped forward, before he too turned around to face their opponents.

=0=

Ichigo walking out of his bathroom, having just dressed himself. He had received the signal mere minutes ago and it was now time to make his way to the place Aizen had designated.

As he walked into his living room he looked up only to come face to face with none other then Nel. Her expression was stoic and determined.

"So you're going to go through with it? You will do as Aizen has ordered you?"

"Ofcourse," Ichigo stated flatly, her rebellious attitude was getting a bit on his nerves lately.

Nel sighed and turned around to walk out of the room. "Go on like this, Ichigo, and soon you will be nothing more but a mindless slave of Aizen's will."

Catching one last glimpse of her face before she turned her back on him completely he saw a silent tear treading down her face. Her words had made more of an impact on him then she could ever know. What choice did he have? If he disobeyed Aizen he would be killed or atleast disciplined, one way or another. He may be Aizen's most powerful warrior but that didn't mean he could do what he wanted. He had sworn loyalty in return for power after all. A promise he had made before even thinking about it. He had been a fool. But what use did it have to dwell on past mistakes? All he could do now was live by the vow he'd made untill death would finally take him.

The mission Aizen had given him, was to guard a courtyard leading to the final hallway before the invaders would reach Hinamori Momo's location. Which was a contradiction in itself considering that he wanted Hinamori to be taken back to Soul Society. As Aizen had continued his explanation however things started to make sense. If Ichigo encountered either of the invaders in the courtyard he was allowed to fight them but not to kill them. If one out of the multiple invaders intended to retrieve Hinamori while another fought Ichigo, he was to go along with this. But above all if Ichigo ended up fighting his father he was expected to fight with the intend to kill. To give it his all and not toy around. Ichigo understood now. Aizen doubted his loyalty. After all Ichigo had done for him, he doubted his loyalty. Nelliel, the one person who was always there for him and who meant everything for him had just stated he would turn into a mindless slave if he continued like this. Yet, Aizen still _doubted _his loyalty! The thought alone made Ichigo boil in anger. He had done nothing but carry out Aizen-sama's will. When had he ever disobeyed an order? When had he ever dissapointed Aizen-sama?

Looking up again he saw Nel was almost at the door. Without thinking he acted. A loud buzz of _Sonido _alerted Nel to his movements but she didn't react. Not untill two strong arms closed around her and she felt Ichigo with his chest against her back.

"Nel," He whispered softly. "What choice do I have? What do you think will happen if I disobey? Is that what you want? Besides the man is no longer my father, I remember him ofcourse but I died."

Nel felt a bit sorry for the words she'd used against him earlier now. She knew ofcourse that he didn't have a choice. Was she hoping he would go against Aizen? It would undoubtedly be the last thing he ever did. But the words he spoke about his father slightly angered her, he just didn't understand.

"You believe that is what your father thinks Ichigo? That because you died he is no longer your father? I understand that you do not have a choice, considering your orders, but if you're going to kill your father atleast allow him the courtesy of being called dad by his only son before he dies!"

Ichigo tightened his grip on Nel as he laid his chin on her shoulder. Her words made sense and he had to admit that it felt natural to think about the man as his dad. He rubbed his cheek against Nel's before continuing softly.

"You're right, Nel." He started. "You always are. I'm sorry for all the worry I cause you. I will make it up to you, I promise."

Nel removed his hands from her waist and turned around with a smile. Putting her arms around his waist instead she laid her head on his chest, contented. "I know you will Ichi, you always do."

Ichigo smiled as he put his arms around her. He could not express his thanks in words. Having Nel in his life was a blessing so great he couldn't even describe. He had told her before that while his loyalty was to Aizen, it was also to Nel. Nel meant more for him then any other person with just her mere presence.

Acting on pure instinct and without thinking about it he softly kissed the top of her head, surprising Nel. "Watch over Ggio while I'm away will you,"

Nel, who took a while to get over her surprise finally let go of him and nodded with a more serious expression. "_Ah._ I will. I think I might go down to the surveillance room to keep an eye on your mission, I'll take Ggio with me."

Ichigo nodded before turning his back to her and opening the door. As he was about to walk through Nel spoke up one last time.

"One more thing, Ichigo." Her voice spoke up. "Don't let it get out of hand, remember what I told you. I will be watching and I _will _intervene if I deem it necessary, regardless of the consequences."

Ichigo sighed inwardly. He knew she meant well and the truth is that he did appreciate it. But he feared what might happen to her should she intervene. He knew Aizen would discard her if he could find a good enough reason to do so. Closing his eyes, he walked through the door before replying.

"_Ah._"

=0=

Grimmjow grinned widely as the Shinigami dressed in the ragged Captain's Haori unsheathed his sword and charged at him, grinning equally wide.

Unsheathing his own Zanpakutou, _Panthera,_ he went into his battle stance by bending through his knees slightly and putting his left foot slightly in front of his right.

Raising _Panthera _vertically the sound of metal clashing against metal signified the start of their battle and a large explosion of reiatsu caused sand and dust to obscure the two fighters from view.

The fact that a mere swing of his sword caused such a huge blast-wave was a clear sign that the Captain whom Grimmjow was up against had to be a powerful opponent. Grimmjow grinned excitedly, this was the sort of fight he'd been itching for! He'd prove to Aizen and the other Espada that _he _was the king and he wasn't one to be taken lightly.

As the dust cleared both fighters could be seen, each trying to overpower the other. The Captain was holding his Zanpakutou with one hand, hortizontally against Grimmjow's vertically raised Zanpakutou. Both of the fighters were grinning madly and it would've been clear to anyone spectating that it would not be wise to interfere in their battle. Despite the fact that the battle had hardly started.

"Nice to meet you, Shinigami Captain!" Grimmjow shouted excitedly. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, _Sexta _Espada." He declared. Grimmjow realised that he didn't usually introduce himself to his opponents, but this was one had proved himself worthy the very first time he'd swung his sword at him.

The Captain grinned at Grimmjow in return, each still trying to overpower the other. "Heh, looks like you'll be able to give me a good fight!" He shouted back excitedly. "_Juuichibantai-taicho _Zaraki Kenpachi!"

Enough words had been spoken but Grimmjow's eyes widened as the man who had just introduced himself as Zaraki Kenpachi started pushing towards Grimmjow harder. Causing Grimmjow to be pushed back slowly. Realising what would happen if this went on for much longer he raised his other arm and pointed his open palm at the Shinigami Captain. As a large red orb started to form in his palm, he smirked.

Zaraki's grin never left his face but he did seem to realise the situation he was in as he instantly withdrew his sword and jumped back several yards. Grimmjow, who continued charging his _Cero _laughed maniacally as the _Cero _released and sped towards the Captain, the bright red light obscuring him from view.

"Take that, Shinigami Captain Zaraki Kenpachi!" He shouted out, continuing his laughter all the while.

The laughter abrubtly ended as a loud bang reverberated through the area and Grimmjow's _Cero _was knocked off course. Looking up, Grimmjow could see Zaraki standing there, with one hand in front of him. The hand sported some minor burn marks but other then that he appeared uninjured.

"Tch. I hope you can do better then that. This ain't even enough to warm me up."

Grimmjow roared in anger at Zaraki's statement. How dare this man insult him like that? That _Cero _held a lot of power and he just casually knocked it off course with _one _hand? Grimmjow knew his _Cero _was powerful, it was definitely above average even among Espada standards. He vowed right then that he would show the man not to mock Grimmjow Jaegerjaques.

With a loud battle-cry Grimmjow vanished with a buzz of _Sonido_ and appeared slightly to Zaraki's side. He swung his Zanpakutou widly in a diagonal slide causing Zaraki's eyes to widen as he turned around. The Captain who realised the danger instantly raised his sword and blocked the strike causing another explosion to rock through the entrance of Las Noches.

"That's more like it, Espada!" Kenpachi shouted in excitement as the grin returned to his face.

Grimmjow in turn merely smirked as he shifted his blocked blade so that it was pushing towards Zaraki rather then pushing down on his Zanpakutou. Having assured his own safety he quickly raised one leg from the ground and sent Zaraki flying with a frontal kick to his chest, before losing his balance.

Zaraki crashed into one of the walls of Las Noches and Grimmjow instantly charged over to his position, not allowing him any time to rest. Another large smoke cloud had erupted at the point of impact and Grimmjow's eyes widened in surprise when Zaraki came dashing out of it, his Zanpakutou held firmly in one hand still, and the large grin never seemed to have left his face.

As the two fighters approached eachother Grimmjow noticed Zaraki was laughing madly, which angered him, was this Captain mocking his strength?

"Awesome!" Zaraki shouted out, still laughing. "You'll do!" His maniacal laughther continued as Grimmjow realised the reason for it. The man loved fighting, he loved it as much as Grimmjow himself. It was the perfect opponent for him.

After Grimmjow came to this realization he grinned. His grin soon turned to the very same maniacal laughther, mimicking the Captain. When the two powerful forces collided with eachother an explosion unlike any of the ones before shook the very grounds of Las Noches. The sound of metal hitting metal couldn't even be heard through it anymore. A bright white light originated at the position of the two and as it came to a climax it exploded outwardly in twirls of yellow and blue reiatsu causing sand to rage around the two like a sandstorm. Cracks started to form in the walls of Las Noches and the main gates were blasted from it's hinges.

When their reiatsu dissipated and the sand lay low again the two figures could be seen standing with their backs to one another, Grimmjow was panting slightly while Zaraki showed no signs of tiring just yet.

Zaraki had a large and deep wound sported on his shoulder, but he didn't seem fazed by it. His grin remained on his face as he turned around and came face-to-face with Grimmjow who by now had turned around as well.

The grin had left Grimmjow's face and was replaced by a weary expression. His breathing had only become worse and was slowly starting to become rather ragged. A deep diagonal cut was running from his right shoulder all the way over his chest untill it reached his left hip. His body was bending forward slightly and when he almost lost his balance he was forced to stick his Zanpakutou in the gound in order to regain it.

"Tch. Guess I overestimated you, you ain't as powerful as I'd hoped." Zaraki's voice said in an almost grieving tone. As if he were mourning for a long lost friend. But that was probably exactly what Zaraki was thinking right now, battle was without a doubt his closest friend.

"Ha!" Grimmjow spoke up in an attempted shout. "I ain't defeated yet, you want to defeat me then you'll have to kill me!" He shouted out as he removed his weight from his Zanpakutou and stood upright once more.

"Idiot." Zaraki said. "You ought to be h-" And that's as far as he got before he was interupted by another loud shout.

"_Kishire, Pantera!"_

=0=

"Don't interfere, Yumichika, this is my battle." Ikkaku's voice called out to the fifth seat. Yumichika merely nodded in answer.

"Ha! You believe you can defeat me on your own, Shinigami?!" The large brute of an Arrancar shouted at Ikkaku.

"_Ah. _I do!" Ikkaku replied with a smirk. "But for that to happen we'll have to take this fight elsewhere."

Those were the last words he spoke as he dissapeared in a whisper of _Shunpo. _The Arrancar in turn dissapeared with a loud buzzing sound. Yumichika followed the two of them, deciding to atleast witness the battle that was about to take place.

=0=

Ikkaku stood in front of the giant brute of an Arrancar with his ever-present smirk etched into the features of his face. It was a trademark sign that showed his opponents he was excited to go into battle with them. In a way it was one of his ways to show his respect for his opponent. After all in a battle like the one that was about to commence both fighters would put their lives on the line.

"In Soul Society we consider it a courtesy to give our opponents our names before doing battle. So that the loser will have the knowledge of the name of his killer when he dies." Ikkaku started, to which Yammy laughed loudly much to his annoyance. Nonetheless, he carried on. "Eleventh Division third seat, Madarame Ikkaku."

Yammy's laughter soon stopped as the man replied. "You wouldn't have had to tell me yours but since it is considered a courtesy let me tell you mine." Yammy started. "Yammy Rialgo, _Décima _Espada."

After those words left the Arrancar named Yammy's mouth Ikkaku grinned and instantly charged at the Espada. Yammy merely remained standing and didn't even bother to unsheathe his Zanpakutou. Ikkaku believed it was the man's arrogance acting up again. Ikkaku might not be a Captain but he knew he was not an opponent that was to be taken lightly and he would prove it!

Removing his scabbard from his hip he unsheathed his sword with his right hand, while keeping the scabbard in his left. When Ikkaku reached the Espada he instantly slashed down at him with a vertical strike. The Espada merely raised one of his arms and as the metal of Ikkaku's Zanpakutou made contact with the Espada's wrist a loud bang reverberated through the area.

Ikkaku's eyes went wide as a jolt of pain shot through his entire arm. Looking over to the man's wrist his eyes widened even further, if at all possible. Ikkaku had slashed down at him as hard as he could since the man hadn't even made a move to take a battle stance. He had intended to crush the man's apparent disinterest in fighting someone whom he considered weak. Looking down at the hand holding his Zanpakutou he could clearly see the red color of blood seeping through his own fingers. Perhaps it was _he_ who had underestimated his opponent.

Before he got a chance to get further into his thoughts however he was interupted by the same loud voice again. "Ehh?" It spoke up. "You can't even cut me!" Yammy started laughing mockingly as he came to this realization.

Ikkaku for his part was getting more and more angry as the seconds passed. When the man wouldn't stop laughing he withdrew his sword and made to attack the Espada again, with a diagonal slice this time. Before he got any further then raising his Zanpakutou however he had the wind knocked out of him and was sent flying back where he came from. Causing sand to fly up at the point of impact.

Yammy for his part was muttering insults towards Grimmjow. "Damn Grimmjow, taking the good opponents for himself. Now I'm stuck with this thrash!"

That was when he realized that there wasn't just one Shinigami but there were two. Why weren't they fighting him together? Perhaps the two of them could pose more of a challenge together.

"Oi! You!" Yammy shouted out, grabbing the attention of Yumichika. "Why don't you join in? The two of you together might be more fun, this guy is boring me already!"

"Help him?" Yumichika replied. "No."

"He'll die if you don't-" But that's as far as Yammy got.

"Perhaps," Yumichika started. "But he'd be satisfied if he died fighting a stronger opponent. He'd have finally met his match and to top it off he would know the name of his killer."

Yammy's expression turned to one of anger as he was denied his request so easily. But before he got a chance to voice this Yumichika spoke up one last time. "But if I were you, I wouldn't drop your guard like that."

Yammy's eyes narrowed as he turned around to look at where Ikkaku was supposed to be.

"_Nobiro, Houzukimaru!" _

Before he got a chance to turn around completely those were the words that were shouted from closely behind him. Turning around completely he was just in time to see a Naginata-like weapon being thrust towards his chest. His eyes widened in surprise and he instantly drew back his arm to launch a punch at Ikkaku.

As his fist collided with Ikkaku's face and he sent the Shinigami flying he noticed, when looking down towards his stomach, that a small trickle of blood was running down his exposed chest.

"Heh. You're stronger then you look." Yammy said against Ikkaku, his interest in fighting the Shinigami returned.

=0=

Hitsugaya Toushirou and Kurosaki Isshin were running through the hallway that had been indicated would lead to Hinamori Momo's cell. They had been running for atleast a quarter of an hour by now and there just didn't seem to come an end at the length of the hallway. Both of them were getting annoyed with it, considering they had a time limit of an hour.

Even if they were lucky enough not to encounter any sort of resistance, if the hallway was much longer it would take them too long to get back to the gates of Las Noches which would mean their time expired and their fates would likely be sealed.

While no words had been spoken about what would happen if they exceeded the time limit they realised the implications of the hidden threat without trouble. Isshin thought it likely that after their time expired more forces would be send out for them, most likely more of what Grimmjow had called the Espada. While their group by no means consisted of weaklings they were few in number and to top it off they had been split up as well now. If Ichigo's strength was any indication Aizen's Espada were not be taken lightly.

Thinking of the Espada made Isshin recall the last words he'd heard from the blue-haired Espada.

_'We're part of the Espada, the absolute best among all of the Arrancar.'_

Isshin was positive this was true. It made sense. The two Arrancar they had encountered when they had encountered Hueco Mundo had been nothing short of weaklings. Soul Society had feared that all Arrancar were extremely powerful. Of course they had suspected that one of their strongest or some sort of stealth specialist had been sent to infiltrate Seireitei but they had no concrete evidence. Now however, they had and Isshin was sure that his son was part of what Aizen called his Espada.

But the Espada had spoken a few more words. Words that held a certain sense of foreboding. '_But even among the Espada, there are those that are on a completely different level. I don't easily admit weakness but I can tell you this: Among all of the Espada there is at least one of them that is more powerful then I am.'_

Isshin could tell that the Espada had a very hard time to admit this indeed. The blue-haired Espada was a proud Arrancar of that much he was certain. And judging by the grin present on Grimmjow's face the majority of the time Isshin believed he was someone who enjoyed fighting. A perfect opponent for Zaraki.

Somehow though, Isshin believed that the blue-haired Espada had refered to Ichigo. Wether Grimmjow was hinting at something because the two shared the same last names which they had likely been informed of by Aizen, or perhaps paying his respects to Ichigo in one way or another Isshin wouldn't know. Nonetheless, he was fairly certain that it had been Ichigo that the blue-haired Espada had spoken of.

He was soon shaken from his thoughts as they ran out of the hallway into a large courtyard. At the end of the courtyard the hall appeared to continue and so they resumed their previous pace and made their way across the courtyard.

As soon as they were about halfway across however, a voice from behind them rang out. "It's been a while, hasn't it, father?"

Startled, both of them froze and slowly turned around. Isshin dreaded what he would come against, he had looked forward to seeing his son again ever since he died but now he wasn't so sure if he wanted to. It was very likely that they would end up having to fight one another.

Hitsugaya and Isshin soon laid their eyes on the man that they both knew was Kurosaki Ichigo. Isshin's eyes widened at the sight of him. Despite everything his son looked much like he always had, not much had changed in that aspect. His outfit however was different entirely. He seemed to wear atleast part of what Isshin had labeled as the standard Arrancar uniform. His vest however was entirely different. It was a sleeveless vest and unlike the other two Espada they had encountered he actually wore it closed. Perhaps he believed it was a sign of weakness to have to expose your chest to make a point or perhaps it was mere coincidence. The most intimidating part of his vest however was the collar. The collar reached up all the way untill Ichigo's mouth and completely covered his entire neck and lower part of his face, including the mouth and nose from view. His Zanpakutou he wore on his left hip.

Turning around to look at Hitsugaya he sighed inwardly. The man had an expression on his face that was akin to fear, it appeared that the beating Hitsugaya had received at his son's hands had been etched deep into his memory. Surprisingly it was not Isshin's voice that commented on it.

"_Juubantai-taicho _Hitsugaya Toushirou," Ichigo spoke up, gaining Isshin's and Hitsugaya's attention. "Your face reveals too much. You are young for a Captain and while I have heard you are powerful in your own right you are inexperienced. Don't reveal your fear to your opponents for it is a sign of weakness."

Isshin had to agree with Ichigo on this part. Hitsugaya was a powerful Captain in his own right. A true prodigy considering the time in which he achieved this power. And while he was certainly above average in terms of strength he lacked experience.

"Your fear for me is ungrounded, _juubantai-taicho,_" Ichigo continued. "Why do you fear me? Because I defeated you? Rest assured, there are few if any Captains in Soul Society who can ever hope to defeat me."

Now this annoyed Isshin. Arrogance. That was one thing he had always hated. It was one of the reasons he'd never got on well with the four noble houses of Soul Society. Then again, perhaps this wasn't mere arrogance, after all his son would probably be well aware of his powers and beating two Captains simultaneously was a very impressive feat. He sighed and had to admit that in this case, it was a possibility that the arrogance was justified.

"There is no need for you to fear death either is there, _juubantai-taicho_? After all," Ichigo continued once more. "You, and I, we're already dead. But rest assured I defeated you merely because those were my orders, I have no personal desire to kill any living being needlessly, which is why you as well as the _niibantai-taicho_ are alive today."

At this Hitsugaya's expression changed. It looked like he was annoyed for a second and wanted to comment on what Ichigo had said. But in the end he reigned in this emotions and merely nodded after which he gave a warning glare at Isshin, indicating that none of this was ever to be spoken of.

Hitsugaya locked eyes with Ichigo as he spoke up. "I suppose letting us pass is not a possibility?"

"No," Ichigo answered at which Hitsugaya sighed and moved his hand to the hilt of his Zanpakutou, "Not us." Ichigo finished.

Hitsugaya's eyebrows rose in confusion. "What is that supposed to mean? Not us?"

Ichigo smirked. "It means that I was ordered to guard this courtyard, and thus engage in combat with any trespassers. However Aizen-sama did tell me that it would be no problem if, in the case of multiple opponents, I'd let some continue on their way to retrieve our prisoner."

If possible Hitsugaya looked even more confused then before untill he narrowed his eyes in suspicision. He appeared to be deep in thought for a while but eventually broke out of it and instantly grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakutou, _Hyourinmaru_.

Before he had a chance to draw it however Isshin spoke up. "Toushirou, go get your friend." It was an order, his voice had been authorative and left no mistake that he was not to be questioned. Considering the fact that it was his son they were facing Hitsugaya thought that he was probably the more justified to fight the Espada out of the two of them.

Turning around, he instantly vanished in a whisper of _Shunpo._ Leaving only father and son standing in front of one another, staring eachother down.

"You made the worse out of the two choices, Kurosaki Isshin," Ichigo spoke up. "I wasn't obligated to finish off any of the other Shinigami. However, Aizen-sama has ordered me to fight with the intend to kill should I come up against you."

Ichigo's face was impassive as he said this. But that could also be because a large part of it was hidden by the collar of his sleeveless vest. Isshin looked annoyed at the collar which Ichigo appeared to notice.

"I suppose, that as my former father, you deserve to atleast see my face." To which he unzipped his collar, exposing the rest of his face.

Isshin was left speechless as his son's face was exposed. He hadn't aged a day and looked exactly the same as he always did. The only thing missing was the ever-present scowl on his face which was now replaced by a mask of impassiveness. There were two changes Isshin did notice however The first was the two bone-like earrings in the form of two large, sharp-looking teeth. The earring hanging from his left ear appeared to be significantly longer then the one hanging from his right. And the second was an ornate black '1' tattooed across the left side of his throat. He had no clue whatsoever what it stood for and before he had a chance to ask Ichigo spoke up again.

"Tch. I guess you don't talk as much as you used to. But that's enough words, I suppose we should get started."

Ichigo dissapeared in a loud buzz of _Sonido _which caused Isshin's eyes to widen. He was only just in time to raise his Zanpakutou partially from his back in order to block the horizontal slice coming from behind him. Turning his head he saw Ichigo's eyes had widened slightly in surprise.

"Interesting," He started. "Your strength must atleast surpass the average Captain and it seems I was right in believing that that Haori you wear draped across your shoulder is a sign that you are, or were once, a Captain. Not many have managed to block my first strike."

Isshin reacted to his son's statement for the first time since their reunion. He smiled. "It is obvious you are some sort of master in an art similar to _Shunpo_, Ichigo, but you aren't the only one who is skilled in that field."

As those words left Isshin's mouth he dissapeared in a whisper of _Shunpo_ and applied the same tactic Ichigo had just used. Reappearing behind Ichigo he slashed at him vertically so as to force him to have to turn around to actually block the hit. Ichigo however didn't seem to have trouble keeping up as he turned around, blocked the hit and still had time to spare.

"It's good to see you can talk after all. I was starting to believe you'd lost your tongue." Ichigo commented. "But you were right, my _Sonido_, not _Shunpo_, is the fastest among all of the Espada."

Isshin sighed. Truthfully he really didn't want to fight Ichigo. He'd had trouble launching that one blow at his back just now. He couldn't imagine just how hard it would be to have an all-out battle with his only son.

"Ichigo," Isshin spoke up. "Why do you serve Aizen?"

Ichigo sighed and lowered his sword as he started talking. "Aizen promised me power. He has held word and I vowed to serve him if he held true to his promise."

Power? His son had wished for power? Isshin had often thought that Ichigo had wanted some sort of power. But only so that he could have prevented Masaki's death. He had no idea why he would've wanted power after his own death. Then again, Ichigo hadn't just died, he'd become a Hollow. What else but power and souls did Hollow ordinarily seek?

But Isshin knew that Aizen merely used Ichigo as another tool. He had deceived Soul Society for more then a century. Isshin was sure that his Espada too, were tools that were created to help him achieve his goal, whatever that was. Each and every one of them was disposable.

"You fool, Ichigo.." Isshin spoke up softly, causing Ichigo's eyes to narrow. As Isshin raised his eyes to meet Ichigo's they held a furious expression. "You believe Aizen cares about your life? You believe Aizen cares about what happens to you, Ichigo?! If you're powerful enough, he might keep you with him untill the end but if your loyalty or your use to Aizen falters for even a second...he _will _discard you!"

Ichigo's face remained impassive at those words. Inside however, he was seething. Not just because of his father's words, but because, deep down, he knew the man was right. But Ichigo knew what to do for now.

"Heh, so what!? If Aizen-sama chooses to discard me then so be it!" Ichigo started, causing Isshin's eyes to widen. "But as long as I remain Aizen-sama's most loyal and most powerful soldier that won't happen!" He added with a smirk.

Before Isshin got a chance to reply to that statement Ichigo pointed his index fingers at the large intricate '1' tattooed on his throat. "All of us, Espada have been branded with a tattoo such as this one. The Espada number from ten to one. With ten being the weakest of us." Ichigo explained. He paused for a couple of seconds before continuing. "And one, being the strongest."

Isshin's face looked shocked at this revelation but only for a while. It wasn't long before his mouth curved upwards into a smirk. When the man raised his eyes to meet Ichigo's, Ichigo knew what would come next.

And so both of them dissapeared in a simultaneous _Shunpo _and _Sonido._ Less then a second later the sound of metal hitting metal could be heard throughout the courtyard and a large explosion caused a crater to erupt beneath the two of them. Sand flew everywhere around them and the stones of the surrounding buildings had small cracks forming in them.

As they continued to trade blows Isshin had a hard time figuring out Ichigo's battle style. He fought one-handed, as Isshin had done once before he learned the name of his Zanpakutou. Ichigo's unoccupied hand remained firmly in his pocket. Ichigo fought with vicious and deadly attack patterns. He seemed to try to create openings and Isshin had to admit that he had a very hard time keeping up with his son.

Already several small cuts and bruises had formed mainly on his arms and legs and he was growing weary. If he truly wanted to stand a chance he wouldn't hold on much longer like this. As if proving his conclusion to be right they once again locked blade and each pushed with all their strength trying to overpower the other. Isshin with his heavier Zanpakutou and both hands against Ichigo with one hand and his lighter Zanpakutou. Yet, none of them was gaining even an inch.

Isshin was instantly on guard when Ichigo removed his left hand from his pocket and grabbed Isshin by his _Shihakusyou_ rooting him in place. Isshin attempted to look Ichigo in the eyes only to notice that his son was looking at the hand that was holding Isshin in place.

Isshin's eyes widened when he noticed that Ichigo's index finger removed it's grasp from his _Shihakusyou _and pointed positioned itself at his chest. He openly gasped as Ichigo spoke his next words.

"_Hadou #4 - Byakurai._"

A large beam of lightning erupted from the tip of Ichigo's index finger and went straight through Isshin's shoulder and part of his chest. The beam had been far larger then he had expected, Isshin could count the amount of people that could use _Kidou _to such a proficient degree on one hand. A painful burning sensation shot through his chest and his shoulder joint but Isshin believed that vital organs had not been hit.

His shoulder ached badly every time he moved it even slightly though and in the long run an injury like that could decide the battle. He was sure Ichigo was aware of this as well.

Isshin decided enough was enough. If he wanted to purify his son he had to get his act together and stop holding back. He quickly spoke the next words before allowing Ichigo to break free from their deadlock.

"_Getsuga..._" Isshin started, as he locked eyes with Ichigo. Ichigo's eyes visibly widened as he heard this word. "_...Tenshou!_"

Ichigo who knew what would be coming now, he just knew, he jumped backwards just in time to create some distance. Throwing his Zanpakutou to the side he held both hands forward in an attempt to block the incoming wave of amplified blue reiatsu.

The ground beneath the _Getsuga Tenshou_ was being torn apart and formed a canyon right in the middle of the courtyard. Dust and debris were being thrown about and the power of the attack caused the ground to shake and the very foundations of the buildings around them to start cracking even further then they already had throughout the battle so far.

Isshin watched with a sad expression as his _Getsuga Tenshou_ closed in on his son and finally exploded on impact. A direct hit of that attack was almost always fatal. Isshin had deliberately made it as powerful as he could and thus he honestly didn't believe Ichigo would get out of this in one piece. Not even the Captain-Commander would have gotten out of that attack unscathed had he taken it head-on.

As the dust cleared, Isshin was instantly on guard again for he couldn't detect his son's presence. _Getsuga Tenshou_ was a powerful attack, but it would by no means completely annhililate it's victim. A loud buzzing sound behind him warned him of Ichigo's appearance but before he got a chance to turn around a blinding pain erupted from his back and Isshin stumbled forwards as his legs weakened.

"That's an...interesting technique," Ichigo's voice rang out from behind him. Slowly turning around, Isshin found that while his son's clothing was burned badly and he had some minor burns all over his body with some small cuts and bruises likely because he was thrown into the wall at the other end of the courtyard, he appeared otherwise unharmed.

"How...?" Was the only word Isshin managed to bring out.

"_Getsuga Tenshou_, an amplified blast of reiatsu released from the tip of the sword. It is a deadly technique and it would've gravely injured me had it actually hit me."

Isshin's face consorted in confusion. He was sure the attack had hit him. Ichigo figured as much and so he continued.

"I fired a much weaker _Cero _at your _Getsuga Tenshou_ a moment before it impacted with me. The collision of the two attacks caused an explosion too close to me for comfort. Nonetheless I was hit only by the backlash of the explosion from our two techniques and was never actually hit by either of them."

Isshin's eyes widened. He had thought of such a move this quickly? It was a risky solution yes but in Ichigo's situation it was most likely the only one as there was no time to escape the attack. Isshin sighed, he didn't have a choice now, it was time.

"Tell me one thing, Ichigo," Isshin started.

There was one thing Isshin had wanted to know from the very beginning since his reunion with his son. He had expected Ichigo to be ruthless and to not be willing to even talk. He had expected his son to attempt to decimate Isshin as quickly as possible. Just like he had done with Ishida, Sado and Inoue.

"Why did you pretend to not know your friends when you met them? Why did you try to kill them? Their wounds were almost critical."

Ichigo's face took on an expression akin to guilt for just a mere moment untill it dissapeared again and his emotionless mask reappeared. "I suppose I could answer that question." Ichigo started. "When I turned into a Hollow I lost my memories. When I encountered Inoue, Sado and Ishida I really did not know who they were, I was merely following orders."

Ichigo had enough of the talking though, he couldn't say what he wanted under Aizen's watchful eye. He would have to wait for the right moment.

"But enough talking, Kurosaki Isshin. If you want to know more, then live past today. Live past today and speak to the Shinigami Kuchiki Rukia!"

Ichigo regained his battle stance after this and was about to charge again when he noticed Isshin was holding out his large cleaver-like Zanpakutou in front of him. He was holding it out horizontally with his right arm and his left was lying on top of the bicep of his right arm. He locked eyes with Ichigo once, and smirked.

"_Bankai..."_ As soon as Isshin uttered these words a large explosion of red and black reiatsu exploded outwards from Isshin's position. Dust, sand and debris was thrown around the courtyard and Ichigo's eyes widened. The cracks in the buildings around him started to grow and grow untill finally the first of them collapsed. At first it was just some walls cracking and collapsing but in the end entire buildings and structures went down. Building after building collapsed untill it seemed like the courtyard had almost doubled in size.

The red and black reiatsu that was obstructing Isshin from view was slowly but surely retracting back inside his body causing the raging wind to lie down and the area to become quiet once more. "_...Tensa Zangetsu."_

When Ichigo raised his eyes to the man that was his father his eyes widened. Isshin's robe was replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining that was closed at his chest, then left to flare out into ragged ends. His large cleaver-like Zanpakutou had taken the form of a much smaller Daito with a four pronged crossguard. The Daito was completely black and instead of a piece of clothing hanging down from the hilt there was now a small chain.

Ichigo was confused. As far as Aizen had told him most Bankai's were incredibly big and grand manifestations of power. Tousen had displayed his Bankai once for Ichigo and Ichigo had to admit that it had been an incredibly dangerous weapon. Ichigo had also seen Hitsugaya Toushirou's Bankai and while he had not seen near the full extent of the young boy's Bankai he _had _been severely injured by a single direct hit of it.

Nonetheless he decided not to underestimate his father's Bankai. After all his father had proved a powerful opponent up untill now. It would not do well to start underestimating him now that he had unleashed the final release of his Zanpakutou, a Shinigami's last and most powerful trumph card, Bankai.

He had to admit though. So far he had seen some similarities with his father. To start off with there was the cloth in which his father's original Zanpakutou, his Shikai, had been wrapped. He too had a small part of it hanging down from his hilt, exactly like Ichigo had in his _resurreción_. Secondly there was his father's technique, _Getsuga Tenshou_, from what Ichigo had seen, it was the exact same as his technique, _Kuroi Getsuga_, the only difference being that his father's was blue.

Before he got a chance to get any further in thought however the sound of feet running towards him distracted him. Surprisingly the sound was getting _very_ close way too fast and as he finally looked up he could see his father's black Daito coming at him for a horizontal slice across his chest.

Ichigo, who was unprepared for this had no time to raise his blade and block the attack. Before Ichigo knew it he had been cut over his chest many times over and he just barely managed to raise his blade to block the attack that Isshin wanted to finish things with.

Isshin attempted to stab him through the head but Ichigo just barely raised his own blade and blocked the stab by using his remaining hand to knock his father's blade ofcourse by pushing against the flat side of his own blade.

He realised now how strong his father truly was. But he'd gotten over the surprise attack that his father had started with. He was ready now and he could do this!

Reacting with a stab of his own his father simply dissapeared and Ichigo lost sight of him for a short moment. Deciding he better play safe then sorry he vanished in a buzz of _Sonido _and reappeared on the other side of the courtyard. His eyes widened however when his father was standing there, waiting for him. Ichigo's eyes narrowed in anger, he clenched his fists and was shaking in anger, it was his turn to get some answers now.

"How are you so powerful?! How are you even a Shinigami?! When I was still alive you were a mad old goofball! Tell me and tell it to me now, quit playing me for a fool Kurosaki Isshin!" Ichigo shouted, furiously.

Isshin didn't react at first and when he did he lowered his gaze to his feet. His voice was silent and slow, and Ichigo had never heard the man talk in such a tone before. "I never was a human to begin with, Ichigo," His father started with a regretful tone in his voice. "Approximately twenty-five years ago I was a member of the Royal Guard of the King's realm." Isshin stated flatly, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen.

"Judging by your reaction, you know what that means?" Ichigo nodded at this. Aizen of course, had told him all about how some Captains were occassionally picked out and promoted to Royal Guard which meant they could ascend to the King's Realm, never to be seen again.

"I had been part of the Royal Guard for a little over two-hundred years. That is, untill twenty-five years ago which is when I was sentenced for execution for unjust reasons. I escaped the King's Realm came to the real world and not long after ran into Urahara who build me a Gigai that would completely hide my reiatsu. The Gigai would age with the years as well and thus I was turned back to a normal human as long as I was within that Gigai, albeit an immortal one."

Ichigo meanwhile was left speechless and couldn't bring out a word. "Needless to say, I soon met your mother and from one thing came another."

Ichigo sighed, his anger had been unjustified but his father had explained his actions and so what could he really complain about now? It appeared that his father had had a rough time as well, being sentenced for execution for something unjust, whatever it had been, it didn't matter. He did trust his father on this matter.

Raising his gaze, he locked eyes with his father. "I see," Ichigo spoke up. Before Isshin even got a chance to react Ichigo smirked at him and shot up into the air, leaving his father to follow in his wake.

Isshin soon caught up with his son who kept flying up further and further. Raising his gaze upwards in the hopes to see his son's destination he was surprised to see none. He was even more surprised however to see his son vanish in thin air and soon after he felt a cold sensation all over his body before it dissapeared as quickly it had started.

Looking around himself he noticed that the bright blue air and sunshine that existed within the walls of Las Noches had dissapeared again. It had, once more, been replaced by the dark black night of Hueco Mundo. The only light present was the slight shimmering of the full moon. Isshin, looked at Ichigo questioningly.

"You must wonder, ofcourse, why I have brought you here." Ichigo spoke up. At Isshin's nod, he continued. "Two reasons."

He paused again for a second before continuing. "First of all, none of the Espada ranked number five or stronger are allowed to release within the dome of Las Noches."

Isshin's eyebrows rose in confusion. As he opened his mouth to ask why however, Ichigo continued once more.

"It is because it would do too much damage to our city to have one of the upper five do battle within it's dome." Isshin once again raised an eyebrow, signifying for Ichigo to continue. "The top five Espada, dad, were all created out of Vasto Lorde Class Hollow." Ichigo stated flatly, causing Isshin's eyes to widen considerably in surprise.

"And the second reason, is one I will tell you in due time. It's time to continue our battle, dad."

The air around the two of them became heavy as red reiatsu started leaking out of Ichigo's body. It twirled itself around Ichigo as if binding him in place and soon before the cocoon of reiatsu completely obstructed Ichigo from view Isshin could just see his son sheating his sword.

The air around them slowly but surely started to vibrate more and more and Isshin was sure that if they were not flying up in the air above the dome of Las Noches right now the entire palace would be shaking and collapsing. It appeared that the reason for the rule Ichigo had explained to him just now was not just a bluff.

Just as Isshin started to wonder if the air could possibly get any heavier as his breathing was started to become ragged two words could be heard coming out of the giant mass of red reiatsu.

_"Shimasu, Atrevico!"_

=0=

Hinamori Momo sat in the quarters she'd been assigned by Tousen the first day, quietly overthinking the events that had transpired just hours before.

Aizen-_taicho_ had finally come to her. She had slowly but surely been getting angry because she had been waiting for days and he didn't show while he had promised her he would drop by soon so they could talk. When the door to her room opened however and Aizen stepped inside her anger evaporated on the spot and was replaced by relief.

She had silently been worried, something could've happened to him which caused his absence. As he entered however all of that vanished, she had ran up to him and hugged him tightly.

After Aizen had reassured her he was alright she let go. He went on to apologize for his lateness and explained that he had had some very urgent business to take care of which absolutely couldn't wait. He had left right after the meeting that had followed her arrival in Las Noches was what she was told.

She forgave him in the end and said she was glad to finally see him again. Aizen in turn told her he arrived here safely and hoped she hadn't been too scared during her so-called kidnap.

Hinamori explained how the man who rescued her had been quite nice to her actually and had kept her safe at all times. She had been a bit scared during his battle with the two Captains because she didn't believe he could win and because she was scared he would kill Toushirou.

Aizen however assured her that he hadn't which satisfied her. After all, Aizen would never lie to her. The question that had come next however had surprised Hinamori. Aizen had asked her if she liked the man that rescued her.

Hinamori reminded him that it was a question that she had already answered, nonetheless she once again told him that the man had been nice to her and had kept her safe. Aizen nodded at that, his next statement however, threw her completely off-guard.

"Did you know Hinamori? That the man that rescued you, Kurosaki Ichigo, was a Hollow?"

Hinamori's face paled at this as she had trouble to form a reply. She eventually told Aizen that couldn't be true because he didn't have a mask and she hadn't seen a Hollow hole either. That, and Hollow didn't take on a human form!

Aizen had merely smiled at her and told her he would start at the beginning. He explained to her how Soul Society had sentenced Kuchiki Rukia for execution not because the crime she committed was that great, but because they needed something that was inside of her. The intense heat would vaporize her body and soul and the object would remain, unscathed. The object was one that could separate the barriers between Shinigami and Hollow. Allowing a Shinigami to gain Hollow powers and a Hollow to gain Shinigami powers.

Aizen explained to her that he uncovered their plot and the item they were after and that he realised what could be done with such an item. Soul Society would hide it only to keep it from ever being used, believing it was 'unnatural' for such phenomenoms to be allowed to occur. Aizen had said he didn't believe so. He believed it could allow Shinigami and Hollow to live together in piece because along with Shinigami powers it would allow Hollow to gain a rational mind along with emotions and it would end their everlasting need to consume more souls.

Hinamori had had tears leaking from her eyes as Aizen got further into his explanation, eventually she started sobbing and in the end she was all out crying. Her Captain wasn't a traitor. It was Soul Society that was in the wrong! He had done nothing wrong, he wanted to create peace for both worlds, to use such an item for which it was created.

She reassured Aizen that she really did like the man that rescue her and that he was absolutely nothing like an ordinary Hollow. Aizen had smiled at her.

From there on the evening had slowly progressed into the wee hours of the night. Finally as Hinamori was starting to get tired and Aizen told her he would soon retreat to his own quarters, he asked her one last question.

He asked her if she would accept a present and she had asked what it was he told her that it would allow her access to Hollow powers. She had been reluctant at first but Aizen had soon explained that it was nothing to be afraid of, he had told her that he needed her to spy for him in Soul Society to which she took on a sad expression.

She admitted that she didn't want to leave his side but Aizen reassured her by saying that they would be together again and with her knowledge of the truth about events she could live there peacefully for a while untill the war came to a climax. Aizen did need information and asked her to subtly obtain some during her Vice-Captain's meetings. If she learned to control her Hollow powers she would at one point or another be able to use _Garganta_ to travel from one point to another and keep Aizen informed.

Realising that with the use of _Garganta _she could still see her Captain regularly as long as she had information to share with him she did agree, albeit a bit reluctantly. He had expressed his gratefulness by hugging her and told her he wouldn't ask her something like this if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

The last thing Aizen told her was that she would soon be rescued by a small squad of Shinigami. She smiled at him sadly as they bade each other goodnight.

As she got in her bed and took one last look at her Captain before he left through the door she thought, for a moment, that she had seen something resembling a cruel smirk on his face. But it had dissapeared as soon as she had thought she saw it and so she believed it must've been a trick of the eye.

Her thoughts were interupted as the door to chamber was opened and in slipped her childhood friend, Shiro-chan. Although these days he was more commonly known as _juubantai-taicho _Hitsugaya Toushirou. Before she got a chance to so much as greet him he rushed over to her and picking her up bridal style he _Shunpo'_d out of the room again.

"Be quiet Hinamori. We don't have much time, we have to hurry!"

Hinamori simply nodded in answer.

=0=

Kenpachi laughed maniacally as the sand cleared and Grimmjow's released form was revealed.

Grimmjow was now dressed in what looked like a form-fitting white segmented armor. His blue hair had grown significantly and reached all the way up untill his knees with the markings beneath his eyes having become more distinctive and his ears had turned very cat-like. His hand and feet had turned black and were shaped more like claws then mere hands. His distinctive jaw-mask had dissapeared and instead he gained some sort of crown which was resting on his forehead. All in all taking the slender whip-like tail into account, Grimmjow had taken on a very cat-like appearance. His Zanpakutou had dissapeared and instead he had one large blade protruding from each of his forearms and calves.

"That's more like it!" Kenpachi shouted excitedly. "Show me what you've got Espada!"

"Heh. We'll see who's laughing last, Shinigami!" Grimmjow shouted back, equally excited.

The two fighters instantly dashed towards each other two equally wide grins could be seen sported on their faces.

Kenpachi lashed out with a horizontal slice as soon as he got within range. Grimmjow blocked the blow with his left arm but he could feel the power put behind it as a small surge of pain shot through his arm.

Angered by this he lashed out at Kenpachi with his right arm seeing as, with his Zanpakutou currently occupied, the Captain had no means to defend himself.

Kenpachi's maniacal laughter returned as soon as he was sliced across his chest area and blood spurted out of the open wound. "That's more like it! Keep it up, Espada!"

Grimmjow grinned in return. A form of mutual understand had developed between the two now. Their love for battle was their reason for living. Kenpachi enjoyed fighting so much that he enjoyed being cut as much as cutting others.

They continued to exchange blows for a while, neither really gaining the upper hand in their battle. Explosions rocked the area near what used to be the main gates of Las Noches and dozens over craters had formed around the area. Walls of buildings started to crack and a small part of the wall around Las Noches had been reduced to rubble in it's entirety.

Both of them were sporting their own fair share of injures by now. Grimmjow had a new large wound running across his chest which replaced the one that had healed after he used his _resurección_. One of his shoulders had been pierced and his left hip had a deep cut running along it's length untill it reached the knee. Other then those he had a large amount of small cuts and bruises all over his body, which he gained after being sent flying through the outer wall of Las Noches.

Kenpachi on the other hand had no real small injures except a shallow cut running over his right cheek. Other then that he had a deep cut over both his shoulders, the original cut across his chest as well as one other that ran diagonally across from the first one.

Despite the fact that they were matched pretty evenly Grimmjow started to notice one major difference. Zaraki didn't seem to tire at all, while Grimmjow's breathing was slowly becoming worse with every minute that passed. As a matter of fact, Zaraki's maniacal laughter had continued all the way throughout their battle. Deciding to take a risk, Grimmjow once more charged at the Captain.

He was just in the nick of time to block the vertical slash coming at him and as he made a move to slice Zaraki across the throat his hand was grabbed, stopping his attempt to end the battle.

As Zaraki looked at Grimmjow's face however he was surprised to see a smirk present. Looking over at Grimmjow's left hand he could see him opening his palm and form a bright red orb inside of it. Zaraki's eyes widened but before he had a chance to react the _Cero _fired and both fighters were obscured by the backlash of the explosion.

As the dust cleared, both fighters were revealed to still be standing. Kenpachi's smirk was wiped of his face as blood was starting to seep through his clothing, his breathing had suddenly become rather ragged as well and while he was certainly wounded he wasn't critically injured just yet.

Grimmjow on the other hand had been way too close and he knew it. It had all come down to which of the two fighters could take more of a beating. As Grimmjow looked himself over he wanted to shout out in anger but his throath was dry and no sound came out. His white segmented armor was torn and ruined and his entire torso was covered in large burn marks. His breathing had become slow and ragged and one eye was covered in burns as well, obstructing the actual eye from view. His legs and arms also held some light burns but none of them were as severe as those on his chest.

Kenpachi's grin had faded and his expression was almost mocking as he turned his back on the _Sexta _Espada and walked away. "Tch. Idiot."

Grimmjow's own arrogance had done him in in the end. He believed that he could take more of a beating then Zaraki could. He attacked in what would have been a suicidal move had he not limited the power of his _Cero._ Nonetheless his defeat had been decided long before he resorted to his almost suicidal move. He had known that Kenpachi would outlast him in a battle of stamina, which was slowly what this was turning into.

But even now, Grimmjow wouldn't take no for an answer. He raised his arm towards Zaraki's retreating back and opened his palm once more. "Y-You bastard, t-this ain't-" But that was as far as he got.

A loud buzzing sound could be heard next to him followed by a gloved hand that grabbed Grimmjow's wrist before he could continue with his sneak attack. Raising his one uninjured eye towards the source of the interuption Grimmjow ended up glaring in the face of none other then the _Segunda _Espada, Coyote Starrk.

"This has gone far enough," Starrk started, by now Zaraki had noticed the arrival of another opponent and the grin reappeared on his face. "You will come back with me, Grimmjow."

Zaraki who wouldn't take that as the answer to his renewed interest unsheathed his Zanpakutou again. The loud ringing sound caught Starrk's attention as he looked at Zaraki, feigning disinterest.

"I wouldn't recommend that, _Juuichibantai-taicho_. As much of a drag as it is, I was send here only to retrieve Grimmjow. You have ten more minutes so I would recommend you help out your comrades before making your escape."

Zaraki face displayed annoyance at Starrk's words and as the Espada dissapeared again with a loud buzz the Captain resheathed his Zanpakutou. Before turning around again and walking away with a loud resounding 'Tch'.

=0=

Madarame Ikkaku stood in front of the Espada named Yammy Rialgo, a wide grin still sported on his face. His condition had only grown worse since he had starting using his Shikai.

At first it seemed like perhaps he had a bit of a chance. He had surprised Yammy a handful of times by separating and reconnecting the three sections of his Naginata. Yammy had received a handful of small, shallow cuts all over his body and even one deeper cut across his right shoulder.

Ikkaku had been optimistic about this at first as he actually seemed to be able to injure his opponent now, even if only slightly. But as the fight progressed Ikkaku's own condition grew worse by the minute, Yammy seemed to enjoy toying with him. This had resulted in Ikkaku ending up at the receiving end of several _Bala_'s as well as a lot of _Hierro_ covered punches.

"Tch. Is this all you've got, Shinigami?" Yammy asked loudly.

Ikkaku for his part closed his eyes in silence for a moment. He had no choice now. He knew he was far enough away from the others and Yumichika already knew, of course. Nonetheless he was very wary in using his trumph card. He refused to die if there was a possibility of beating his opponent but at the same time it was his wish to die under Zaraki-_taicho'_s command. If this came out, he would not be under his Captain's command for much longer, especially considering Soul Society's current situation.

"Heh. You haven't seen anything yet, I guess I have to use it." Ikkaku replied.

Yammy for his part could clearly sense the reiatsu in the area increase, even with his almost non-existant skills in that field. The air grew thicker and thicker with each passing moment. Returning his gaze to his opponent, Madarame Ikkaku he noticed his body was starting to glow red with reiatsu and the pupils in his eyes had dissapeared as his eyes started to glow a bright white.

"_Bankai_..."

Instantly a wave of violent blue reiatsu erupted in the middle of his Naginata, _Houzukimaru_, and forced itself to the edges. As it reached the edges of his Naginata they became larger and more violent untill they completely surrounded Ikkaku.

Yammy had to hold his arm in front of his eyes to protect himself from the violent force of the reiatsu Ikkaku was emitting. As the blue reiatsu reached a climax Yammy noticed two seperate beams of red reiatsu emerged from the top of the large blue twister that was Ikkaku's reiatsu. Both separate red reiatsu seemed to form a dragon's head, each facing the other as if preparing for battle. They lasted only a second before they retreated back into the blue twister, seemingly causing the violent storm of reiatsu to slowly die down.

Now this caused Yammy to grin. There _was_ more to the guy then he'd thought after all! It was a good amount of reiatsu, very impressive, for a Shinigami. He was sure there had there been more of an environment around then just the sandy desert of Hueco Mundo the entire area would having been turned to rubble.

As Ikkaku was revealed again Yammy couldn't help but openly show his excitement. Ikkaku stood in front of him with two extremely larged axe-like weapons held in his hands. Both of them were connected to another larger and wider but yet similar axe-like weapon that was raised in the air just above his back. The one above his back sported a large long dragon crest all along the length of the weapon.

_"...Ryuumon Houzukimaru!"_

It was obvious, even to Yammy that this was a weapon meant to deal major damage with nothing other then brute strength. One thing that was still similar however was the three-segments. His Naginata had been a weapon divided in three segments and the same held true for his Bankai it appeared.

Ikkaku did nothing more but grin at Yammy before he charged without warning. Yammy who grinned equally wide in return awaited Ikkaku's charge.

When Ikkaku got close enough he raised the blade held by his right hand and made to slice at Yammy vertically. The _Décima _Espada who didn't appear to be too great in the brains department raised his hand in an attempt to block it.

Ikkaku smirked as _Ryuumon Houzukimaru_ cut deep into Yammy's arm, almost going as far as to cleanly cut it off, had Yammy not retractred his arm as he screamed in pain and most likely anger too.

Before the giant Espada got a chance to counter attack Ikkaku slammed the remaining axe of _Ryuumon Houzukimaru _right in the center of Yammy's stomach, burying it deep inside his body.

Yammy's screams got even louder at this point, if at all possible as he quickly jumped back to regain some distance. Yammy roared in anger as clutched his injured right arm.

"You'll pay for that!" Yammy roared furiously before charging at Ikkaku with his uninjured left arm raised. That was when he noticed two things. To start off with the edges of Ikkaku's _Ryuumon Houzukimaru _were already damaged and probably could not last for more then two or three more attacks each. And secondly the red dragon crest ingraved in the axe in the middle was starting to glow. So far more then half close to three quarters of it was already glowing.

Not knowing what this could possibly mean Yammy ignored it and as he reached Ikkaku he slammed a vicious _hierro-_covered punch right into the Shinigami's face who was too slow to raise his heavy weapons in defence.

Ikkaku was sent flying and the impact of both him and his heavy weapons on the sandy desert ground created a crater on impact.

Yammy slowly walked over to the creater, intending to finish the Shinigami off with one final attack. As he reached the end of the crater the sight that greeted him was not what he had expected.

Madarame Ikkaku stood in the center holding both axes still firmly in his hands. But what grabbed Yammy's attention the most was the obvious rise of reiatsu that was palpable in the air. Looking at the completely filled up red dragon crest Yammy wondered if that had anything to do with it.

As he locked eyes with Madarame Ikkaku once more he felt a feeling of dread overcome him, despite that it didn't show in his stance or facial expression. The man's eyes were too determined.

As if answering Yammy's thoughts Ikkaku pulled back both of his arms before smirking cockily at him. "It's over, _Décima _Espada, Yammy Rialgo!" He shouted in excitement before throwing both axes at the Espada. The sound of the chains following in their respective axes wake could be heard ringing throughout the air.

Yammy had no time to react. No time to defend. Not even enough time to raise his arms. Ikkaku was too close, with no more then a handful of feet between the two of them. He could clearly see one of the axes heading for his head, the other was slightly lower, heading for his already injured right arm. They were approaching slowly, as if in slow-motion, yet Yammy's body wouldn't move fast enough.

He closed his eyes as the axes were about to impact with his body and moments later a sharp pain rang through his arm along with the sound of metal hitting metal no more then a foot away from his face.

Opening his eyes the first thing he noticed was Ulquiorra standing in front of him, his Zanpakutou unsheathed and the axe that had been heading for his face lying at his feet. "U-Ulquiorra!"

"Grab your arm, we're leaving, Yammy." Ulquiorra stated flatly before walking away.

Ulquiorra's words caused Yammy to look down towards his right arm and he instantly realised why he could no longer feel anything in his arm except for a blinding pain near the shoulder. His arm had been cut off cleanly just beneath the shoulder joint. He grit his teeth in anger and glared at the body of Madarame Ikkaku, who was lying unconscious on the ground, before turning around and following Ulquiorra.

Yumichika silently watched the proceedings and as the two Arrancar left he made his way over to his comrade and hoisted the man over his shoulders. Turning around, he walked back to the gates of Las Noches, intending to meet back up with his Captain.

=0=

_"Shimasu, Atrevico!"_

As Ichigo spoke these two words the heavy air seemed to subside and retract back inside Ichigo's body. Silence reigned the sky above the dome of Las Noches. It was the silence before the storm.

Isshin didn't know this and was starting to wonder what had just happened. His answer came in the form of a small sliver of reiatsu that escaped Ichigo's body. It sounded like a soft wind blowing through the night's sky it was a soothing sound during such a harsh trial. Father and son fighting each other in a battle for their lives.

It didn't last long however as a loud blast reverberated through the air and the night's sky was lit up in a shower of red and black reiatsu. The pressure in the air grew heavier then ever and Isshin found himself bending forward slightly because of it. His breathing had become irregular as he looked upon the raging inferno of reiatsu in front of him.

Amidst it all he could only just make out the figure of his son Ichigo. He could barely make out his features but it was clear to Isshin that he would have a hard time recognizing his son as the young boy who attended Karakura High after his transformation was completed.

Just as Isshin thought it was over another heavy storm of reiatsu was sent in every direction and Isshin had to try his very hardest to remain firmly in place. The rough and violent wind along with the bright red-colored storm of reiatsu forced him to close his eyes.

Slowly but surely Isshin could feel the raging wind die down and as he slowly opened his eyes he had a hard time readjusting to the renewed darkness of Hueco Mundo's night sky. He could clearly sense however, where the man that was his son was standing, raising his gaze the two locked eyes. Isshin's eyes visibly widened as he gasped at the sight that met him.

Starting with his head Ichigo's hair had grown slightly, reaching just past his shoulders now. His eyes were a bright yellow with a dark black pupil which looked positively intimidating. His eyes seemed to bore straight through Isshin as if looking at his very soul.

Ichigo's sleeveless vest was torn almost completely and several large spikes had sprouted all over his left shoulder and from what Isshin could make out they seemed to continue to run partially over his back as well. Apart from the spikes itself a large part of Ichigo's shoulder was covered in a white bone-like substance.

His right shoulder on the other hand was covered in what appeared to be a ragged and dirty-looking cloth which was kept in place by bolts that seemed to be stuck in the shoulder. The ragged looking cloth continued from his right shoulder to his left hip and from his left hip it hung loosely at his right.

The way the cloth covered up part of his body would normally be rather barbaric but in this case it just seemed to fit. It caused the left side of Ichigo's chest to be exposed and Isshin noticed a large amount of intricate red markings were originating from his Hollow hole. They ran all the way up untill his left shoulder and presumably Isshin thought the same went for his right. Which in turn would have the markings form some sort of large intricate cross across Ichigo's chest.

Ichigo's hands too, Isshin noticed were covered in the very same bone-like substance as his left shoulder. After taking a closer look at it Isshin believed it was the same material that a common Hollow mask usually consisted of.

The last change Isshin noticed was a surprise. Ichigo's Zanpakutou had become completely black in color and it seemed it had grown close to a foot longer as well. The same ragged and dirty-looking cloth that was wrapped around Ichigo's shoulder and half of his chest was wrapped around the Zanpakutou's guard all the way untill the end of the hilt. At the end of the hilt a small piece of cloth could be seem falling down from it. The cloth pretty much hid the exact shape of the guard but that wasn't what intrigued Isshin about Ichigo's new Zanpakutou the most. It bore a striking resemblance to Isshin's own Zanpakutou in it's Bankai form, granted he couldn't see the hilt ofcourse and it was quite a bit longer as well. But combined with the cloth wrapped around the guard and the hilt it seemed the perfect combination of Isshin's Zanpakutou in Shikai and Bankai forms respectively.

One other thing Isshin noticed _had _remained the same was the intricate looking '1' tattooed on the left side of Ichigo's throat. Isshin knew what it meant now, of course. It signified his strength as the most powerful Arrancar in Aizen's army.

Ichigo merely smiled at his father. There was another thing he wanted to tell his father, but he couldn't find the right words. He knew he should tell his father now but he decided to wait. Enough words had been spoken for the time being.

Simultaneously, both fighters tightened the grip on their respective Zanpakutous, as if in unspoken agreement. Both fighters raised their respective gazes and locked eyes once more. The look they gave each other said more then any words ever would.

Isshin was the first to act as he dissapeared with the phenomenal speed his Bankai provided him with. Reappearing at his son's left side he raised his sword and slammed it down in a vertical strike. Isshin smirked as his son didn't even get the time to turn around.

His smirk however soon dissapeared as Ichigo raised his hand and caught Isshin's blade in a firm grip. Ichigo hadn't even turned his head to see where the strike would come from. He merely stood there, holding Isshin's blade in his hand, still looking at the spot where Isshin had previously stood.

Isshin who was getting annoyed by his son's lack of action decided to take advantage of it. The smirk on his face reappeared.

"_Getsuga..._"

It was pointless however, as Ichigo removed his index and middle finger from Isshin's blade and pointed them at the man's chest.

"_Hadou #1 - Shou._"

Isshin's eyes widened as Ichigo let go of his father's Zanpakutou and Isshin was send flying by the incredible force of Ichigo's _Kidou _spell.

"_...Tenshou!"_

A large red and black wave of reiatsu erupted from the tip of Isshin Zanpakutou. And even though the distance between father and son was certainly further now, Ichigo would still have a hard time to dodge the attack.

Isshin's confusion rose however as Ichigo calmly turned around and raised his Zanpakutou with one hand above his head. He smiled solemnly at his father as he spoke the next two words.

"_Kuroi Getsuga!" _

Isshin's eyes widened even further and he gasped openly as the same red and black jet of reiatsu had just left the tip of his own Zanpakutou erupted from Ichigo's. Ichigo's however was far larger and as the two collided it was as if Isshin's didn't even exist. Ichigo's _Kuroi Getsuga _tore through it and continued on it's way towards Isshin, who was still flying backwards, as if his _Getsuga Tenshou_ hadn't even been there.

Ichigo, meanwhile, was watching as his father was engulfed by his _Kuroi Getsuga. _He hadn't put too much power into his _Kuroi Getsuga_ and so he was fairly certain that his father should have survived the attack.

Turning around, he decided to continue his act for now and made to leave the battlefield and return to Las Noches. Before he got very far however, something from behind him caught his attention. Turning back around he saw he could see another crescent moon-shaped reiatsu blast coming at him. He smirked once before quickly dissapearing with a loud buzz.

Isshin for his part let out a loud sigh as he saw his _Getsuga Tenshou_ was about to land a direct hit on his son. Much to his surprise however he saw his attack continue on it's way rather then impact on the position where he believed his son to be standing. It was hard to tell with his own attack blocking his view. Before he got another second however he heard the loud buzz of _Sonido _announcing the arrival of his son behind him and less then a second he felt cold steel touching his throat.

Isshin was speechless. He didn't know what to say. Never before had he been defeated so utterly and completely. His throat was dry and his breathing was heavy. He tried to breathe slowly so as not to cut himself on his son's blade, it was pointless however, his emotions were getting the better of him.

He was certain this was the end for him. Yuzu and Karin would grow up not only without a mother and an older brother but also without a father now. Isshin closed his eyes in silent regret. He knew he should be happy, he would pay for being a failure as a father now. But that wasn't what he felt, he may not have been the perfect parent but he was sure that both Yuzu and Karin wanted none other then their own father to raise them. A silent tear leaked down from his eye. _'Yuzu, Karin, Ichigo, Masaki, I'm sorry.'_

"The other reason I brought you here," Ichigo's voice rang out, much to Isshin's surprise. "Is because Aizen knows about everything that goes on within the dome of Las Noches."

Isshin's eyes widened. If what Ichigo was saying was a hint of any sort then he had to mean that he had some sort of plan that Aizen wasn't supposed to be aware of.

"Don't get your hopes up though, dad," Ichigo spoke up again, the use of the word dad surprised Isshin though, "I don't intend to betray Aizen and nor will I disobey his orders."

For the first time since the reunion with his son Isshin had heard Ichigo speak Aizen's name without using the honorific. Yet, Ichigo's words confused Isshin even more. If he didn't intend to do either of the two, then why did Ichigo bring him here, out of Aizen's sight.

"I want to answer your earlier question." Ichigo spoke up in answer. "If Aizen ever betrays me, or if he intends to hurt or discard me or my nakama...I will make him regret it, that is a vow I have already made."

A smile appeared on Isshin's face at this. Not only wouldn't Ichigo allow himself to be discarded by Aizen, Ichigo had spoken of his nakama. Isshin couldn't help but wonder who this could be and wondered if he would ever find out.

Ichigo meanwhile sighed once before removing his blade from Isshin's throat. "But you should know, dad, that I can't betray Aizen. We will finish our battle and I _will _prove my loyalty!"

Before Isshin had a chance to react he was smashed back towards the Dome of Las Noches by what he presumed had been Ichigo's feet.

Ichigo meanwhile closed his eyes for a split second in silent grief. He knew this was getting out of hand. His lust for battle and his willingness to prove his loyalty to Aizen were taking over. His anger and frustration with Aizen were dominating the battle. He recalled Nel's words from earlier and felt ashamed when he realized she had been watching all this time. Luckily however, she at least hadn't seen what happened above Las Noches. Clearing his mind he decided to get this over with before Nel decided to make an appearance, he was sure she would if this dragged on any longer. Reopening his eyes he silently started chanting.

"_Bakudou #63 - Sajo Sabaku._"

A large golden chain appeared in mid-air and at Ichigo's command it sped towards the descending figure of Kurosaki Isshin. As it approached the man Ichigo closed his fist, causing the chains to bind itself around his father's figure from top to bottom mere seconds before the man dissapeared from view, swallowed up by the dome of Las Noches once more.

=0=

Hitsugaya Toushirou was relieved to find out that Zaraki, Madarame and Ayasegawa were all still in the same courtyard where they had split up. Hitsugaya quickly increased the pace of his _Shunpo_. Before he reached the other three Shinigami however he felt two other reiatsu signatures somewhere far above them. Both were familiar yet he wasn't completely sure about the identity of either. One seemed too small to be who he thought it should be and the other seemed too...chaotic and wild to be who Hitsugaya had thought.

Nonetheless he didn't need to think about it any longer when a figure bound in golden chains could be seen flying down. As it got closer Hitsugaya just barely made out a huge cleaver-like _Zanpakutou _held in the figure's hand. His eyes instantly widened as he took notice of this.

"Ayasegawa! It's Kurosaki, catch him!" Hitsugaya's voice rang out over the courtyard, causing Yumichika to take his eyes from the descending figure to look at Hitsugaya for a split second before nodding in return.

Hitsugaya sighed in relief when he saw Ayasegawa was about to close his arms around Kurosaki Isshin's waist. His relief was squashed instantly however when Ayasegawa was sent flying a split second before he'd managed to get a firm grip on Kurosaki Isshin's body.

Hitsugaya put down Hinamori's body and instantly reached for his _Zanpakutou._ His suspicions were confirmed as he looked up towards the figure that was rapidly approaching the still descending body of Kurosaki Isshin. He certainly looked different, but he knew it was the same man, he was certain of it.

=0=

Ichigo closed his eyes once more as he approached the descending figure of his father. He didn't like what he was about to do, he hated himself for it. Hated himself for taking the life of someone that didn't need to die. He hated himself for taking a life merely because he was ordered to fight with the intend to kill. But above all he hated himself for taking a life when he knew Nel didn't want him to.

As he opened his eyes again he strenghtened his resolve. Determination shone from his eyes as he pulled back his blade, intending to pierce his father's chest. Yet, when he finally thrust his sword forward, he ended up closing his eyes again after all, a clear sign of the fact that he didn't want to witness what he was about to do.

Instead of metal piercing soft flesh however, he heard the sound of metal clashing against metal which caused him to open his eyes again instantly only to find the prone form of his father missing. Instead he was looking straight into the face of the one person he dreaded seeing the most at this very moment. He was looking right into the face of an impassive looking Nelliel Tu Oderschvank.

Ichigo could feel his mouth was opening and closing repeatedly, as if unable to find the words he wanted to say. She merely sighed and broke eye contact as she walked over to the five Shinigami.

"Your hour has passed," Nel's voice rang out, breaking the silence. Hitsugaya could be seen gritting his teeth in frustration with their current predicament. "But for defeating two of Aizen's Espada he has decided that you may live."

Before any of them got a chance to reply she tapped her index and middlefinger into the air, causing a _garganta _to appear in mid-air. Not giving them any chance to react she turned around and walked back to Ichigo.

"Aizen-_sama,_ is awaiting our return, the others are already gathered, we should hurry, Ichi." Nel stated with a small smile.

Ichigo only looked at her blankly, confusion clearly in his eyes, nonetheless he nodded.

"I would advise you leave before Aizen-sama changes his mind."

Those were the last words the five Shinigami heard before the duo dissapeared in a buzz of _Sonido._

=0=

_Unexpected ending? I hope so, for that was what I intended!_

_Anyway first of all I want to apologize for the huge delay in this chapter. Real life has been troubling to say the least, ever since I returned from holiday. I've returned only to find that I got fired and thus had to find a new job. I've been quite occupied with my new job the last couple of weeks, add in to that that I've had some other major and minor issues I've had to deal with. I bet many of you thought I'd quit writing altogether but let me assure you that I haven't!_

_In a way of making things up to you I've made sure to make the new chapter my longest one so far and I certainly hope you found it fun to read. I do have to admit though that from here on out it will probably take me longer to update in between chapters as apart from the fact that I have less time to write I'm also having trouble to keep my storyline running as smooth as I intended. That and the fact that it's really time I start editting some of the older chapters. I've read some of them over briefly and I couldn't help but notice that the quick and perhaps even rushed way of adding new chapters really did cause the grammar and spelling in this story to become rather shameful._

_Once again, reviews are appreciated. I'm curious to find out what people think of everything so far as well as your thoughts on this chapter in particular._

_~Bruuz_


	15. Safe Return

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach!

**mlkoolc86:** Nope it wasn't actually stated but it isn't too hard to figure out. It's hinted at. So if you want to know, read back or wait and find out. ;)

**DarkJackel:** Ichigo's sisters know he is dead but they are, for now unaware of the fact that Shinigami or Hollow even exist. They are unaware of Soul Society, Hueco Mundo or even the fact that their father isn't really alive either. Before you ask if they'll find out and when, that is something I'm not entirely sure about yet.

**Takai153: **As stated in this chapter. Ichigo was never actually ordered to kill his father, he was merely ordered to fight with the intent to kill. After Grimmjow and Yammy were defeated enough of a scene had been made and Aizen ordered the Espada to allow the Shinigami to leave 'as a reward' for defeating two of his Espada. Thus Ichigo had to stand down as well.

**Bonar: **I understand completely why you are getting a bit of a chaotic image from Nel. Truth be told this is entirely my fault. Nel is dealing with conflicting emotions herself, that's all I'll say for now. I had planned for that to be clear by now because I intended to add a scene solely from Nel's perspective so that people could actually follow her thoughts and try to understand her actions a bit better. For some reason however I seem to have forgotten that which I consider a huge blunder on my part. I do promise you nonetheless that such a scene _will_ appear in the near future, most likely even in the next chapter.

**RyumaOmega:** I hope your finals went well. I'm glad you enjoyed the fight between Kenpachi and Grimmjow in particular as I tried my very hardest to keep both characters as true to Canon as possible.

**dongaro: **I'm glad you enjoy reading it. Personally I dislike relationships that are developed too fast and since my story is not even an actual romance I believe taking my time will, in the end, only add to it.

**HiddenMaster:** I'm not sure if Ichigo and Kenpachi will get into a confrontation at any point yet. While I have most of my storyline worked out I haven't worked out every little detail such as who will fight who then and then. I do agree that _if _Kenpachi ever learned Bankai Ichigo would likely lose in his current state. But as some have managed while Ichigo is more powerful then Starrk, Starrk was defeated by Kyouraku's Shikai. Let me remind you, Ichigo is in no way all-powerful. But he will get stronger, that is one thing I can promise, just not in the way most people would probably want him to.

**Kai Orihomunon:** Thank you very much. You have no idea how rewarding it is for me, as a writer, to have your readers express their thanks in such a way. I'll continue to do my best to bring this story to an amazing ending, no matter how far off that may be for now.

**Yonda:** Yea you are right about that. Those are two of the main mistakes I've made in this story so far, atleast that's what I think so personally. The repeating of certain words and phrases tend to get annoying when you're reading and I should've (atleast in the last couple of chapters) added some more scenes from Nel's perspective. Thanks a lot for the constructive criticism there, I'll try to work on it!

**To everyone else:** Thanks a lot for all of your support and faithful reviews! It's very rewarding to read as a writer. I hope you all enjoy reading the story as much as I love writing it but judging from the reviews so far there aren't many that seem to have a problem with that! Here's the newest chapter for you, remember the last one was extremely long and I don't intend to write one of such a length again. I will try to stick between 7-10k words from here on out.

**Chapter 14: Safe Return.**

"Nel! Why did you interfere? Do you have a death wish Nel?!" The enraged voice of Kurosaki Ichigo rang out through the halls of Las Noches.

Nel merely smiled. The duo was currently making their way back to the meeting room and Ichigo was steadily getting more annoyed with Nel. After all she had intervened without so much as an explanation and had then proceeded to make her way back. Ichigo, who noticed his anger wouldn't get any answers out of her decided he should calm down a bit. Regaining a steady breath he started to realise that he wasn't really angry at Nel. It was mostly that he was scared for her, scared that she had defied Aizen's orders, after all, she had said before that she would intervene in Ichigo's fight if she deemed it necessary, _no matter the consequences_. Those were her words.

"Aizen-sama ordered me to retrieve you and to let the rest of the invaders return back to Soul Society, alive, along with their captured comrade."

Ichigo's eyes widened at this. Why would Aizen allow all of them to return alive? Ichigo knew of course that it had been Aizen's intention to let their prisoner return to Soul Society but nonetheless this had been a good opportunity to take out some of Soul Society's strongest. While Ichigo had not heard the orders Grimmjow and Yammy had received, he himself had been instructed to fight his father with the intend to kill. He pretty much assumed the other two had received similar orders, but perhaps he had been wrong.

"I was ordered to fight my dad with the intend to kill, so why did Aizen-sama decide to let them all live now? This doesn't make sense Nel!" Ichigo shouted out in fury.

"Do not ask me to understand the warped mind of one Aizen Sousuke." Nel's voice replied.

Ichigo was angered by her calm reply and once again he could feel the anger bubbling back up to the surface but before he even had a chance to reign it in Nel continued.

"But if you want me to hazard a guess..." She started. "I believe he sees all of this, everything up untill now and even everything that is about to come, as a game more then anything. We are his pawns and Soul Society is the one he is playing against. His opponent scored a small victory today and thus Aizen-sama rewarded them with their lives."

Thinking about her words Ichigo realized that she may have a point. Of course he didn't want to think of himself as a pawn but it did make sense. Ichigo was exceptionally powerful and he knew this. Aizen knew this too and thus he was constantly trying to find out if the risk was worth the gain. It was a rule most people in Hueco Mundo learned from the very beginning. If you ever gained underlings, make sure they stay beneath you, do not let them become more powerful then you are. Aizen did not often give Ichigo missions but up untill now it had all been testing trials. The mission where he had been forced to fight his friends, even if he didn't know who they were yet then. Then there was the mission to Seireitei the very heart of Soul Society, one he had not come back from unscathed. And last, but certainly not least, his most recent mission, the one where had been ordered to fight his father with the intend to kill. And up untill now Ichigo had to admit that it had been the most dangerous mission for him. His father had seriously injured him after he had released his Bankai. Ichigo was unsure if he would've even been able to defeat him without releasing. Aizen had undoubtedly known about the power of Kurosaki Isshin. Other then that the man was of course aware of the emotional turmoil Ichigo could've been in as well and thus Aizen might have considered this the ultimate test.

Ichigo had to admit though, he was getting tired of the man's endless tests, elaborate plans and all his careful scheming. It was starting to wear on his nerves, he felt like the man was indeed using him as a mere pawn and that perhaps in the end, even he would be discarded or even worse, he would discard Nel. Nel after all, while powerful wasn't as strong as Ichigo and was even quite a bit off from being powerful enough to fight Starrk evenly. He decided he would think some more on this later, but for now he would let it be.

"I see, I'm sorry for getting angry, Nel." Ichigo apologized.

Nel smiled fondly at him in return. "Don't worry, it's not like you can help it."

Now that confused Ichigo again. Of course he could help it, it was him who got angry while he should've remained calm. Especially towards Nel. But before he got a chance to speak up Nel beat him to it.

"Don't tell me that you hadn't noticed yet, Ichi," Nel started. "You're intelligent but at times you seem to forget to use those brains of yours. Haven't you noticed? You don't often get angry. Haven't you noticed anything special that happens each time after you seal your released form back inside your Zanpakutou?"

Thinking long and hard Ichigo thought he knew what Nel was getting at. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed this yet but now that he thought of it he believed he understood why that was. "I'm not sure how to describe it but I think I know what you mean. I feel like I...want to continue fighting, but honestly it was just like that the first time but I easily managed to supress it. You were there, it was I who chose not to finish off Nnoitra."

Nel nodded at him before she started to speak again. "What you're feeling isn't just a will to fight. It can be described by only one word, you feel a Hollow's bloodthirst. Most of your Hollow powers have been sealed into your Zanpakutou and so when you release them you gain back a lot of the bloodthirst you used to have as a Hollow. Most Arrancar feel some of it all the time but it is easily supressed, you however are not used to it and so it's harder to supress or withstand. And about that time with Nnoitra, I believe that was merely because you chose to spare Nnoitra, this time however your opponent was taken from you, you were forced to lay down your weapon no matter what you wanted. It is that, I believe, which caused your bloodlust to rise up a notch and anger you greatly."

Turning her head around Nel looked at Ichigo only to find that he was wearing a very troubled expression. She inwardly giggled at his antics, he was obviously worried for something he really didn't need to worry about. "There's no need to worry about this, Ichi. When I say bloodlust I don't mean it in the way you are thinking of. You are no longer a complete Hollow, you have no desire at all to devour Souls. When I say bloodlust I merely mean emotions such as anger, irritation, jealousy and other emotions that could be considered negative."

After seeing his chest deflate and his face become relaxed once again Nel let out a loud giggle which echoed throughout the Halls. Before Ichigo got a chance to reply however he noticed they had arrived at the meeting room. Puttings his hand on the doorknob he made to open the door but was stopped by Nel who put her hand on top of his. Turning to look at her face he found that she was looking rather serious again all of a sudden.

"And so you see again, Ichigo that power comes at a price. And while you may bargain for the price, it may still come with other unexpected consequences."

As Ichigo nodded at her, he believed he truly knew just how true her words were.

=0=

Hitsugaya was shocked by the sight that met him as he exited the _Garganta_ the green-haired female Arrancar had created for the six of them. He still wasn't able to completely comprehend just what had happened in the Capital of Hueco Mundo. And seemingly he wouldn't really get a chance to anytime soon.

Before his very eyes stood Commander-General Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni along with the two oldest Captains of Soul Society Ukitake Jyuushirou and Kyouraku Shunsui. The Commander-General's eyes seemed to pierce Hitsugaya's very soul while Ukitake and Kyouraku actually seemed to look a bit defeated. Behind the trio of Captains Hitsugaya could just make out the figures of Urahara Kisuke, Tsukabishi Tessai, Shihouin Yoruichi, Yasutora Sado and Inoue Orihime. All five of them wore sad expressions as if they were in mourning. Hitsugaya reckoned that Urahara, Tessai and Yoruichi at the very least were well aware of the consequences of his actions should they be uncovered, which apparently, they had been.

But before even the Commander-General could get a word out Orihime ran forward and with a shout of _Soten Kesshun_ started healing their two critically wounded comrades Kurosaki Isshin and Madarame Ikkaku. Surprised, the remaining four Shinigami stepped aside to allow their injured comrades some more space, despite the fact that they had passed out quite some time ago.

Looking at the face of Kurosaki Isshin, Hitsugaya felt a slight pang of guilt. After all, it had been Isshin that convinced him to leave father and son to fight one another while Hitsugaya continued on his way to find Momo. Truth be told, Hitsugaya had been rather glad. After having faced the Espada once and having been beaten soundly he wasn't looking forward to a rematch despite the Espada's 'words of comfort' back at the courtyard in Las Noches. Thinking of the words Kurosaki's son had spoken to him angered him. He knew he wasn't being mocked, the Espada was merely stating facts and Hitsugaya was ashamed by the fact that everything that had been said to him had been true. His face _had_ revealed fear, something Hitsugaya was very ashamed of.

The boy prodigy's musings were interupted by a loud cough coming from his direct right side. Sighing once, as he knew who the cough had come from, he turned around and looked straight into the stern gaze of the Commander-General.

"_Juubantai-taicho,"_ Yamamoto's voice rang out, "_Juuichibantai-taicho,"_ He continued, "You have breached the Shinigami code of conduct by directly disobeying an order to _not_ retrieve Hinamori Momo."

Hitsugaya's face looked down at this, never before had he disobeyed an order like that. He had always strived to prove himself worthy of his Captain's Haori no matter the cost. But Hinamori had simply been too important for him. Looking to his left he noticed even the ever-present grin on Kenpachi's face had dissapeared. Perhaps the Eleventh-Division Captain had realised that he too, might be in a lot of trouble, trouble that could prevent him from fighting his precious battles.

The silence of the two Shinigami Captains seemed to be a cue for the Commander-General to continue his speach. "Under normal circumstances you would be stripped of your rank or in a worst case scenario, executed." Yamamoto stated, causing Hitsugaya's eyes to widen and Kenpachi's to narrow as if preparing himself not to go down without a fight. "Current circumstances however, are everything but normal and seeing as all of you have returned alive there will be no consequences for your actions. However, should this happen again, standard punishment will apply. Now, let us return to Soul Society where you can give us your report." The Commander-General finished after which he locked eyes with Ukitake and gave a single, brief nod which the man seemed to understand as he unsheathed his sword and stabbed it in mid-air before turning it around, clockwise, opening the gate to Soul Society.

Hitsugaya who was still in shock by the fact that he would get off without any sort of punishment barely realized in time that the gate had already been opened and almost had to hurry to make it in time. But before the gate closed completely he took a look over his shoulder and locked eyes with Urahara.

"Thank Isshin for me, without him I'm unsure if any of us would've made it out alive."

They were the last words Hitsugaya could speak before the gate closed and Urahara's basement was finally obstructed from view.

=0=

Ichigo was standing on one of the training grounds meant specifically for the Espada and their _Fraccion_. Ggi and Shawlong were out sparring in the distance and Ggio appeared to be handling himself very well. In fact Ggio seemed to be outmatching Shawlong quite easily. This however, wasn't really the thing that was on Ichigo's mind at all. Looking over to his right he saw Nel seated in between Pesche and Dondochakka.

Looking at her he was reminded of their earlier conversation just after his confrontation with his father and the consequent Espada meeting with Aizen. Nel was right, Ichigo realised rather grumpily. He never meant a thing to Aizen. He was merely a pawn. Yes, Aizen did go to great lengths to make sure Ichigo would be powerful, more so then any of the other Espada but this was not because Ichigo was actually important to Aizen. No, Ichigo was like the queen on a chessboard, the most powerful soldier on the board but in the end even the queen could be sacrificed to ensure victory. Of course Aizen did go to great lengths to ensure Ichigo's loyalty, Aizen had been very lenient with him. Nonetheless Ichigo didn't doubt that Nel wasn't right for even a second. She had been right about more then one thing. Ichigo knew he was intelligent but over time had taken to obeying orders blindly without thinking too much about it, after all he had sworn to serve Aizen had he not? But that was no reason to stop thinking, to stop considering all the variables. While Ichigo was grateful for the power Aizen had given him he wasn't about ready to give his life merely to make sure Aizen's goals would be fulfilled.

Another thing he'd thought about was the Espada meeting just an hour earlier. Aizen hadn't done much more then say everything was going according to plan. He had also stated that Ichigo had done his job well. Grimmjow didn't receive much grief about his loss against the Eleventh Division Captain. Yammy however was an entirely different story, noone really said much against him before as he tended to lash out all the time and most didn't think it worth the hassle. Of course as the weakest Espada he wasn't very revered to begin with. But now with his loss against a Third Seat, a Shinigami two ranks lower then a Captain, most of the Espada didn't even pay attention to him anymore, they outright ignored him and some, like Luppi, even showed downright hostility.

Having heard the story of Yammy's battle Ichigo couldn't blame them though. Yammy had been toying with the Third Seat for too long. He had simply chosen the wrong opponent to toy with. While the Third Seat may not have been exponentionally powerful with just his Shikai, his Bankai, which had taken Yammy completely by surprise would have been enough to kill the unreleased Tenth Espada had Ulquiorra not interfered at that point. As far as Aizen had told Ichigo generally only Captains were capable of using Bankai and perhaps a Lieutenant or two. That information spoke bookworks about the potential of the Third Seat. Yammy had been a fool to underestimate him and now he had to pay the price for that mistake.

His attention turned back to Ggio and Shawlong's battle when he heard a loud crash rock through the training grounds. He saw Ggio being smacked against the wall of Las Noches and Shawlong standing up in the air with a surprised expression on his face. It appeared Shawlong had gotten a lucky shot in which was a mistake on Ggio's part. Ichigo had to supress the urge to instantly kill Shawlong for hurting Ggio. He could feel his reiatsu rising up slightly and he panicked as he realised his earlier anger from releasing his _resureccion_ hadn't faded away completely just yet. He quickly attempted to let his anger subside but couldn't help but notice that his entire body had started trembling and his breathing had become irregular.

Dust and sand started to rise up all around him and his reiatsu was slowly starting to leak out of his _Zanpakutou_. Anger was slowly overtaking him, anger at Shawlong for striking Ggio, anger at his father for hiding the fact that he was a Shinigami while Ichigo was alive, anger at himself for almost killing his father, anger at Aizen for using Ichigo like a pawn and even anger at Nel for not allowing him to kill his opponent, to sate his bloodlust.

Before his thoughts could get him any further however two arms were wrapped around him. "Enough!" A high pitched voice whispered to him fiercely. "Enough Ichigo! They were sparring, Ggio's fine. Don't let your anger overtake you because of something so trivial!"

Nel. Ichigo realised it was Nel who whispering so fiercely in his ears. She sounded panicked, as if she was afraid of something. But what could she be afraid of? Nel was powerful, not many people could ever hope to defeat her so was it something else? Perhaps she was afraid to lose someone? Pesche? Dondochakka? Himself? No there was nothing to fear right now, and thus no need to fear losing someone. Then it hit him. She was afraid he would do something he would regret, she was afraid he would give in to the bloodlust she spoke of earlier.

But he wouldn't. He could already feel his reiatsu retracting back into his _Zanpakutou_. He could feel his body stop trembling and his breathing become regular again. Turning his face around he looked straight into the eyes of Nel. A determined expression was etched into the features of her face as she stood up.

"Follow me, Ichigo," She stated flatly.

Ichigo wouldn't think twice about not listening to her and instantly got up and followed in her wake. As they reached the center of the training ground Ggio, Shawlong and Grimmjow who had likely come to collect Shawlong approached the two Espada. Nel halted there but kept her back turned towards Ichigo.

"Ichigo," Nel's voice spoke out to him again, calling him to attention, "Your Zanpakutou contains almost all of your Hollow powers. Wether this happened subconsciously or if you actually chose to seal all of your Hollow powers inside of your _Zanpakutou _during the Shinigamification doesn't really matter. But your _Zanpakutou _calls for battle."

Ichigo's face remained stoic but inside he was starting to panic. Was she insinuating what he feared she was? Before he got a chance to think about it any further Nel whirled around on her heel, unsheathing her _Zanpakutou_ mid-turn and aimed a diagonal slice at his shoulder. Acting on instinct Ichigo instantly unsheated his own _Zanpakutou _and blocked her strike, if only barely.

"N-Nel! St-" Ichigo started.

"Whatever happens Ichigo, don't release or you'll make things worse." Nel cut him off before she retracted her blade and started a long serie of horizontal and vertical slices at Ichigo.

Ichigo was able to block them all but wasn't prepared for the stabbing thrust she made to finish her attack and was forced to jump backwards. Before he even got a chance to decide if he should be the one attacking now or if he should stay on the defence he was alarmed again by a vibration in the air close to him. Looking up he could see a red ball of _Bala _heading straight for him. Not having enough time to dodge he held his arms in front of him as a shield as the _Bala _impacted with him. Nel wasn't satisfied with his reaction however as she continued to fire about a dozen more of them at him, all of them hitting Ichigo head on.

Ichigo, having sustained only minor burns decided enough was enough and dashed forward, _Zanpakutou _at the ready. As he left the cloud of dust that had been created by Nel's _Bala's_ behind and was about to go for a horizontal slice towards Nel's torso she jumped up and with a twist in mid-air kicked his _Zanpakutou _off course, leaving him wide open. Nel quickly took advantage of this by aiming another kick at his chest which send him flying back into the direction he just came from. Hearing the sound of a _Cero_ charging he knew he had to find a way to get out of his current predicament and he had to find one quickly, with no way to dodge he was nothing more then target practice. Flipping over he managed to land on his feet just a second after he heard Nel´s _Cero _fire in his direction. Looking up he could clearly see a huge pink _Cero _coming right at him, with not enough time left to dodge he did the only other thing he could think off.

_"Bakudou #81 - Danku,"_

Instantly a large rectangular shield rose up in front of him, causing Nel's _Cero _to crash into it violently. Realising that this would be an ideal time to attack for Nel he quickly sped in her direction instead. Before he got even halfway across the training grounds however he could clearly see the figure of Nel dashing towards him as well. Grinning, he tightened the hold on his _Zanpakutou _and nodded at her briefly. Nel smiled at him for only a second in reply as the eyes in her mask fragment started emitting a blue glow and she dissapeared from Ichigo's view.

Ichigo cursed himself for not being fully aware of her entire arsenal of abilities as he felt a reiatsu signature appear behind him. Hearing the cutting of a sword through the air he was certain Nel was going for a diagonal slice across his back and so with speed only possessed by the highest ranked members of the Espada he quickly lowered his sword over his shoulder, along his back and was relieved to hear the clang of metal hitting metal. The power with which she had swung at him however, surprised him as a giant shockwave rocked through the training grounds. Nonetheless he decided that he enjoyed fighting someone that actually required him to give it his all. So, not allowing Nel another chance to continue her assault he kept the pressure on their locked blades and gave a hard backward kick right in her stomach. The power of the kick, while not even making her wince, did make her slide backwards several yards.

Ichigo instantly sped after her, not allowing her a chance to push him onto the defensive again. As he neared her she quickly drew the scabbard of her _Zanpakutou_, crossing the two she raised them in the air just in time to catch Ichigo's _Zanpakutou_, protecting herself from his vertical strike. Ichigo wouldn't give her a chance to rest though as he raised his remaining hand and pointed his index and middlefinger towards her face. Her facial expression instantly turned to one of surprise as a red orb started to form at the tip of his two fingers. Just as it was about to fire her expression of surprise turned into a smirk which alarmed Ichigo. But before he had a chance to figure out what made her so confident his _Cero _fired and Nel opened her mouth, making him realise his mistake as his _Cero _was being sucked into Nel's mouth.

Realising that _Cero Doble _would take at least a second or two to fully charge Ichigo instantly dissapeared with a buzz, reappearing about fifty yards in front of Nel at the same time as she returned Ichigo's _Cero_ at him. While the _Cero _was coming at him certainly was big he wasn't the fastest among the Espada for no reason. Dodging Nel's _Cero Doble _just barely Ichigo sped along the length of the beam right towards Nel who, Ichigo figured, would have a hard time seeing him coming due to the bright light coming from her own _Cero_.

Just as Ichigo anticipated Nel didn't see him coming at all untill she stopped her _Cero_. When she did however, she was instantly aware of his presence only a handful of yards from where she was standing. Ichigo wouldn't even allow her a chance to raise her sword at him, he was surprised though to find that she _was _in time to raise her scabbard to block his first blow, forcing Ichigo to dodge sideways as she instantly took advantage of his surprise by thrusting her _Zanpakutou _forward towards his stomach area. Realising that his surprise had almost given her the advantage he immediately launched into a flurry of horizontal, vertical and diagonal strikes at her. Finding that he was gaining the advantage he decided this was the best opportunity he'd had untill now to finish their battle.

Removing his other hand from his pocket he grabbed the hilt of his _Zanpakutou _with both hands, raised it above his head and swung it downwards as hard as he could. As she'd done before, Nel crossed her Scabbard and _Zanpakutou _in mid-air and raised them higher in order to catch his _Zanpakutou _in the gap between. Her block was succesful, however Nel wasn't ready for the power behind it as another shockwave like none before rocked through the training grounds causing sand and debris to be hurled away from them and Nel was forced on her knees. Before she got a chance to attempt to counter, Ichigo softly muttered a few words before he once more pointed his index and middlefinger towards her, this time at her chest.

_"Hadou #1 - Shou."_

Having put just enough reiatsu in the spell to send her flying, but not too hard, while she was still disoriented Ichigo dissapeared with another buzz of _Sonido_. Reappearing right behind her he grabbed her by the waist, stopping her in mid-flight and held the cold steel of his Zanpakutou against the side of her neck, signifying his victory.

"I win."

"Damnit Ichi, it's no fair! Haven't you ever heard of taking it easy on a lady?!" Nel replied indignantly.

"W-What?!" Ichigo cried out in astonishment. "You were fighting me as if you were trying to kill me and now you go complaining to me that I should take it easy?! You're mad woman, mad!" He finished as he removed his _Zanpakutou _from her neck and resheathed it.

"But..." He slowly started again, not sure what to say. "...Thanks, Nel. It's gone now, I don't feel any anger whatsoever anymore. It seems you were right again."

At his words she turned around and smiled at him. "_Ah._ For now it's gone. But don't forget about this Ichigo, learn from it, don't release unnecessarily and before you start, I watched your battle remember and I'm not saying it wasn't necessary, but if things don't go the way you want or the way you expect them to go while you're in your released form it may just happen again. So at the very least, be prepared for that, while it doesn't appear to be hard to get rid of it can lead to some very unpleasant situations should it happen under the wrong circumstances."

Ichigo only had the chance to nod in reply before they were joined by Ggio, Shawlong and Grimmjow who had apparently watched their battle untill the end.

"Tch. Not bad, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow's loud voice rang out to him.

Ichigo merely nodded in reply. Looking over at Ggio he saw that he had had absolutely no reason whatsoever to get angry over the fact that Shawlong had gotten a lucky shot in. Shawlong definitely looked to be the worse for wear while Ggio appeared almost uninjured save a handful of scratches. Ichigo had to admit, he was incredibly proud of his _Fraccion_, Ggio had exceeded Ichigo's expectations time and time again. Improving at a rate that Ichigo had thought impossible for a mere _Fraccion_, the 'servant' of an Espada. He silently laughed at Barragan for discarding his most promising _Fraccion_ had he only treated it the right way and given it credit where credit was due. Ichigo knew for certain that, assuming Ggio kept improving at the rate he had been untill now, he would be the most powerful _Fraccion _within a month and could even rise to the level of one of the weaker Espada given he had enough time before the war finally broke loose.

Ichigo had thought of the upcoming war quite often lately. Truth be told he wasn't certain if he was truly looking forward to it has much as he had been before. After all, while he had never done battle on such a wide scale before, he knew every war took casualties. And they weren't just up against nobody. They were up against all of Soul Society, thirteen incredibly powerful Captains. Sure, Ichigo personally knew he could take almost any Captain and win in a one on one situation. But he wasn't so sure anymore now, his battle with his father had made him realise that while he was powerful, he wasn't all powerful. He realised that the lack of an opponent who could actually make him go all out had made him arrogant, his father had robbed him of that arrogance, and in the end Ichigo believed that had been a good thing. Looking upon it now he believed there were at least three Captains that could potentially beat him in a fair one on one battle, the only three Captains Ichigo knew for certain that were even more powerful then his father. They were the Commander-General, Eighth Division Captain Kyouraku Shunsui and Thirteenth Division Captain Ukitake Jyuushirou. He would have to be cautious if he ever came up against any of those three.

But that wasn't the most important thing that made him hesitant of the start of the war. Truth be told, of course he didn't want to die, well yeah he was already dead but he didn't want to lose his life again, but it wasn't like he would really care either. His life really was Aizen's to command, it's not like he had much to say about it anyway. The thing he most feared however, was losing those that he cared about. He didn't want to lose Pesche or Dondochakka. He didn't want to lose Ggio. He didn't want to lose his father either, despite everything. Heck he didn't even want to lose Grimmjow, he had to admit that during his spars with Grimmjow he had come to like the blue-haired Espada at least a little bit. But most of all he feared losing Nel and Rukia. Despite Rukia's absence she was still his most precious friend after Nel, he knew that the bond he shared with Rukia was way different from the one he shared with Nel, it was more transcendent, distance didn't matter, but it was important to him nonetheless.

It was another thing he had thought a lot about lately. Rukia. He wondered how she was doing. If she had sticked to their promise and would do everything within her power to get stronger. Strong enough to perhaps fight on even ground with some of the weaker Espada. The truth was that Ichigo didn't want her to fight _any _of the Espada at all, ever. While he believed she had some potential he had to admit that he doubted she'd ever get _that _strong in such a short period of time. But he'd feel better knowing that she was getting stronger, getting ready for the war that was looming on the horizon. For now, everything was silent again, but soon the storm would break loose. Ichigo could only hope that they would all be ready by then.

=0=

Rukia was seated in the middle of the largest training ground within the Kuchiki Estate. She was silently overthinking the events of the past couple of days while preparing herself for the task ahead. No less then four days ago the Tenth Division Captain, the Eleventh Division Captain and the Eleventh Division's third and fifth seat had returned from an excursion, no not excursion, a downright invasion of Las Noches, the Capital of Hueco Mundo and the fortress in which Aizen and his Espada remain, the very fortress in which she was held captive for several long weeks. The very fortress in which her friends Ichigo and Nel were living.

Apparently the four Shinigami had gone against their orders and had traveled to Las Noches to retrieve the captured Hinamori, the former Fifth Division Lieutenant. It was obvious to anyone who knew the four Shinigami even if only slightly that it had been only the Tenth Division Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou that was actually interested in rescueing Hinamori. The other three, which were all from the Eleventh Division had obviously gone along for the thrill of battle and judging by the state in which the Eleventh Division's Third Seat Madarame Ikkaku arrived, it appeared as if their wish had been granted.

What was most surprising however was the fact that they returned, not only alive but also _with_ the captured Hinamori. Her brother had told her most of the things that had been said during the Captains meeting, something which he was not allowed to do. He however, felt that since she was so determined to take part in this war she deserved to know what was going on. He had told her that another Shinigami had joined them from the living world. She instantly knew just who it had been that had joined the other four Shinigami. She knew before her brother told her that it was Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's father because that was just the sort of man he was. He probably wanted answers, answers to a list full of questions. Such as why Ichigo had joined Aizen or why Ichigo had pretended he didn't know Ishida, Sado and Inoue.

From what she had heard Isshin had fought his son and lost, badly. It appeared that Ichigo had almost killed his father before he was stopped by a green-haired female Espada that Rukia knew was Nel. Rukia was very grateful to Nel, she was certain Ichigo had not actually _wanted_ to kill his father. It was more likely that he didn't have a choice in the matter. She was surprised though when her brother told her that Aizen had ordered his Espada to let all six of the Shinigami including Hinamori leave as a reward for defeating two of his Espada.

This information had quickly spread throughout Seireitei. The fact that the Eleventh Division Captain Zaraki Kenpachi and Eleventh Division's Third Seat Madarame Ikkaku had both defeated an Espada, two of the most powerful soldiers in Aizen's army. Rukia had to admit that it gave her some hope as well. She knew the Espada were extremely powerful but she had not been certain just how powerful they were. Kenpachi had defeated the sixth most powerful Espada. While many believed that it was quite the accomplishment Rukia actually knew that this wasn't necessarily the case. It was because of some of the information that Ichigo had told her. She remembered his words as if it were yesterday.

_'Start training as soon as you are up to full strength again. If you want to stand a chance at all if you ever run into an Espada you will have to train as if your life depends on it. Attain your Bankai and you might stand a chance against the lower ranked ones. But even with Bankai, if you run into a number below five, Rukia. Run. Run as fast as your legs can carry you, run as if the devil is on your doorstep. Run and cling to life Rukia, for any number below five means certain death.'_

His words caused her to hold a certain sense of foreboding towards the upcoming war. Truth be told she dreaded the war to come. Most of her friends weren't ranked higher then Lieutenant and from what Ichigo had told her the average Lieutenant may not even come out alive against the Espada's _Fraccion._ Her brother of course was far more powerful but he was also far more of a target and he wasn't likely to be attacked by _Numéros_ or _Fraccion_. No, her brother would be targeted directly by the Espada.

There was also one thing Rukia couldn't quite wrap around her finger. She could not for the love of God understand how Madarame Ikkaku had managed to defeat one of the Espada. Her brother had told her that it had been the weakest Espada, one going by the name of Yammy Rialgo but nonetheless, Madarame as a Third Seat should not have stood a chance against the Arrancar. There was of course the possibility that the Eleventh Division's Third Seat really was just far more powerful then anyone knew or Ichigo could have exaggerated about their strength. But Rukia decided she would not get overconfident, despite the fact that Madarame had apparently defeated the weakest of the Espada.

That mistake had already been made by others. It was the last thing the Captains had talked about in their last meeting four days ago. One of the Captains who's name her brother wouldn't mention had proposed that Soul Society take the fight to Aizen. To attack them on their own ground and surprisingly there had been a couple that believed it was actually a pretty good idea. Most of the Captains were still doubtful about the plan but it had actually been taken in serious consideration and the Commander-General had specifically asked for each Captain to consider the idea and they would continue discussing it during their next meeting.

The Commander-General had decided Soifon should send out two of her most skilled squads of the Secret Mobile Unit to find out more about what was going on around and if possible even inside Las Noches. They were to return in a month at the latest with daily briefings to the Second Division Captain. Rukia feared for the lives of those in the Secret Mobile Unit, she didn't think any of them would return alive. Aizen's eyes and ears were everywhere. She could only hope that Soul Society would not decide to invade Hueco Mundo on their own terms, she had a bad feeling about it, she didn't believe it would end the way they wanted it to. That, and the fact that she had to get more powerful, she had to get stronger, and she had to do it fast, she wasn't certain if she would be powerful enough by the time the Secret Mobile Unit returned, if they did. It was time, she had waited a long time for this and she honestly didn't think she would get any more ready then she already was.

As she opened her eyes she saw that Sode no Shirayuki had appeared in front of her. And so Rukia stood up and looked her _Zanpakutou_'s spirit straight in the eyes. Both of them understood one another. Renji had started already a day ago, it was her turn now.

"What is it, Rukia?" Shirayuki asked her.

"You have something I want." Rukia replied.

Sode no Shirayuki merely looked at curiously. Of course, Rukia knew that she understood and so she just patiently awaited her reply.

"And what may that be, Rukia?" Shirayuki finally asked her.

It was time. Rukia knew she wouldn't get any more ready then she already was. Not with the amount of time she had to prepare for the war. Her brother had helped her, Renji had helped her, her Captain had helped her despite the fact that she turned down his proposition to become his Lieutenant. Despite the fact that she had given an excuse as lame as the fact that she didn't _want_ to spend the time required to be a good Lieutenant. Her Captain had understood. He had understood how important this was and he supported her. She had precious people who depended on her, depended on her to complete her training and depended on her to come out of it alive. She would do it for them, and for Ichigo.

"Bankai."

=0=

_**Author's Notes:**_

_Let me start off by once again saying I'm sorry for the huge delay in updates. Real life has been tough but from here on out I hope to release at the very least one chapter every two weeks. This may ocassionally be more then two weeks but if you're lucky you could also get to say two chapters in a week. The amount of time I have to write differs greatly at the moment so all I can promise you is that I'll try my best to update as regularly as possible._

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's another set-up for greater events to come. I'm curious if any of you can guess what's going to happen in the upcoming chapters. I won't say, but I dare you to give it a try! ;)_

_Lastly, reviews are very much appreciated. They instantly bring me in the mood to start writing after I get home from work and that's no kidding. Next chapter might actually be up by next monday, if you're lucky even earlier and if you're unlucky a little later._

_Ja ne!_

_~Bruuz_


	16. Final Release

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach!

**Announcement: **Let me start off by saying something that I completely forgot to add while I was rushing to post my last chapter. Happy Newyear everyone! I hope you will all have a happy and healty 2010! And once more let me add to that that I appreciate your awesome support during the writing of this story. You guys keep inspiring me to come up with new ideas and to keep the chapters coming as fast as possible with my limited time available at this moment.

* * *

**HiddenMaster:** To tell you the truth I'm not entirely sure about it yet. The idea somehow just came to me and while it would certainly be interesting it would require me to change basically the entire storyline I had planned out from here untill the end. It's not that I necessarily mind that it's just that it's a lot of work. Right now I still feel my other options are better but the idea hasn't completely been thrown out of the window just yet.

**Ghostknight: **I'm sorry but I'm afraid I've already worked out Rukia's Bankai months ago. It really was one of the first things I started thinking about before I even started writing the story. So really, no matter how awesome a Bankai anyone can come up with, Rukia's Bankai is one of the things I am not willing to change. I like what I came up with, wether you like it or not? I hope so but I'll have to wait and find out to be sure.

**DarkJason: **Thank you very much! And the same to you obviously. As for the rating change, to be honest it's mostly because for some reason I have received quite some grief over the months about my story being M-Rated. With the amount of violence and gore I personally believe it should be M as I have read dozens of other M-Rated stories that did not include any lemons or other overly sexual acts. I'm curious now though, do you believe it should be M-Rated?

As for the Rukia's Bankai, I'm not really willing to reveal too much about it just yet but I suppose I can give you a little sneak preview. First of all she will learn to control her Bankai in time. This, meaning that at first while it will certainly be powerful she will not be able to wield even close to it's full potential just yet. As was hinted at in the series, mastering a Bankai often takes years and years of practise and while I'm not saying that she will even master it at all in my story she will certainly become very adept with it at one point or another. Secondly, and this is the last thing I will reveal about it for the time being, Rukia's Bankai will share some, however small, similarities with both Ichigo's (Or Isshin's in this case) and Byakuya's Bankai.

* * *

**Chapter 15: Final Release. **

_"What is it, Rukia?" Shirayuki asked her._

_"You have something I want." Rukia replied._

_Sode no Shirayuki merely looked at curiously. Of course, Rukia knew that she understood and so she just patiently awaited her reply._

_"And what may that be, Rukia?" Shirayuki finally asked her._

_It was time. Rukia knew she wouldn't get any more ready then she already was. Not with the amount of time she had to prepare for the war. Her brother had helped her, Renji had helped her, her Captain had helped her despite the fact that she turned down his proposition to become his Lieutenant. Despite the fact that she had given an excuse as lame as the fact that she didn't want to spend the time required to be a good Lieutenant. Her Captain had understood. He had understood how important this was and he supported her. She had precious people who depended on her, depended on her to complete her training and depended on her to come out of it alive. She would do it for them, and for Ichigo._

_"Bankai."_

Rukia could see the playful smile spreading across Shirayuki's face. She knew, of course that Shirayuki had known what Rukia was going to ask from her even before she had asked. She was her Zanpakutou's Spirit for a reason, she always knew what was on Rukia's mind and while Shirayuki could be very playful at times she was certainly one of the most kind-hearted individuals Rukia knew. Turning her eyes back to Shirayuki, Rukia noticed that the playful smile had dissapeared and that it had been replaced by one a gravely serious one.

"Bankai?" Shirayuki asked, though Rukia got the impression she was asking herself rather then Rukia as she was staring down at the ground. Slowly however, Shirayuki shook her head and raised her head so that their eyes met. "And you do you truly believe that you are ready to achieve Bankai, Rukia?"

It was the question Rukia had pondered over for many hours the last couple of days, and of course Shirayuki knew this too. At first Rukia believed she was absolutely ready and that postponing it would only cost her in the end. She had often discussed the prospect of her Bankai training together with her brother, who kept telling her that she should not take her training for Bankai lightly. She knew of course that she shouldn't but on the other hand she believed she could do it, after all, hadn't she improved by leaps and bounds over the past few weeks? Hadn't she proven that she could be a very capable Shinigami if only she put in the effort required and was guided by someone who knew what he was talking about.

No, she never really doubted that she was ready. That is, untill that one day, when her and her brother were training together and he asked her a question she did not have the answer to.

_[Flashback:]_

_Rukia sped towards her brother, deciding to take the fight to him for a change, she had been on the defense for too long during their recent sparring session. As she reached him she immediately lashed out at him with a horizontal swipe. Her brother just stood in front of her, unmoving before dissapearing right in front of her eyes._

_A disturbance in the air behind her alarmed Rukia who instantly ducked and whirled around on her heels only to lay eyes upon the figure of her brother, standing mere inches from her. Realising that now would be the time to attempt a counterattack she thrust her Zanpakutou forward only for it to be blocked by the flat side of her brother's Senbonzakura. Not wanting to leave it at a single attack she retracted her blade and, with proficient use of Shunpo only known to Byakuya, Yoruichi and now Rukia she dashed past her brother slashing at his shoulder joint as she passed him. Not giving up after she heard the clang of metal hitting metal she instantly turned around again and started a long series of swipes and thrusts only for all of them to be dodged save the last one, which was blocked. Nonetheless she tried her very best to overpower her brother only for him to silently chant two words._

_"Chire, Senbonzakura."_

_Alarmed, Rukia instantly jumped in order to create some distance between the two of them. Seeing her brother's Zanpakutou dissolve in pink cherry blossoms caused her to regain her senses and reevaluate her strategy. Deciding upon a tactic that might just work she punctured the ground once, creating a glow ice circle around her, she then punctured the ground in front of her four more times, creating a semi-circle. Taking up a battle stance she looked back towards her brother only to find that her vision was blocked by thousands of pink blade fragments that were no more then a second away from impacting with her._

_"Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!"_

_Not having build up enough ice-particles for the attack to be as powerful as she had wished she fired a small path straight through her brother's Senbonzakura just a little bigger then she herself was but enough to keep her out of immediate danger. Already she was trying to figure out a way to take the fight back to her brother but much to her surprise her thoughts were cut off as Senbonzakura's cherry blossoms retreated back towards her brother, into the scabbard of his Zanpakutou, reforming his sword._

_"That's enough, Rukia." He said to her, leaving no question about the fact that they were done._

_Rukia merely nodded in reply as she studied the face of her brother. Not once before had he stopped their sparring sessions prematurely. They usually went on before Rukia, or in some occassions, both of them, started to tire out. She could clearly see her brother had something on his mind but before she got a question to ask about it he locked eyes with her and spoke._

_"I have a question for you, Rukia." He spoke, surprising her. While her brother often gave her advice on how to do things better, on how to improve or how to act in front of others he did not often ask any questions to her. She nodded at him, signifying for him to go on. "Your Zanpakutou," He said, before pausing a second. "Your Zanpakutou's abilities they take a while to use." _

_Rukia could only nod in reply again. Of course, she'd known this ever since she first spoke to Shirayuki, it was one of the disadvantages of her Zanpakutou, while her abilities were by no means weak, they took a while to be unleashed. "Most Zanpakutou are able to unleash their abilities almost instantly and those that can't often have some sort of delay in using the ability, much like yours. Only in those cases those abilities are extremely powerful, hence why they take so long to be used. While your Zanpakutou's abilities are certainly powerful they do not fall under the category that I just mentioned." He explained._

_Now this did worry Rukia. She didn't think there was anything wrong with her Zanpakutou but perhaps she had been wrong in assuming that she had already mastered her Shikai. Perhaps there was more to her Zanpakutou then she had thought at first. She already possessed two abilities and she just assumed that would be it, but she never asked, she never even considered the fact that perhaps she needed to refine them even further._

_"Rukia," Her brother's voice called out to her, pulling her from her thoughts. "Are you certain that you've mastered your Shikai?"_

_[Flashback]_

Back then, she hadn't answered her brother's question. Not because she didn't want to, but because she was starting to doubt the answer she had thought she knew all this time. But her brother hadn't inquired on it any further. He had understood the necessity of her achieving Bankai and while she knew he didn't want to lose her she was certain he had faith in her abilities. Shirayuki's earlier question however made her start to doubt herself even further. How could she ever hope to achieve Bankai if she hadn't even mastered her Shikai yet?

Should she wait? Wait untill she was more certain of herself and her abilities? The test that would determine if she was ready to wield Bankai would likely be harsh and cruel. It could be a one-time offer and it could even cost her her life. But she wouldn't know the true contents of the test untill it started, and once started, there was no going back.

She wondered what Ichigo would have done in her situation. The answer came to her before she even started to think about it. Ichigo would have pushed forward, he would've given it his all and he would never have given up if failing meant that he wouldn't be able to protect his loved ones. He would've willingly paid any price to ensure the survival of his friends and family. He wouldn't care about losing another opportunity to attain Bankai and nor would he care about dying while trying to achieve it. No, that wasn't right. He would care because he wouldn't be able to protect if he died, he would simply choose not to die. He would come out of the test beaten and bruised but alive and succesful.

Rukia would take his example. She would give it her all. She wouldn't fail no matter what. So what if she hadn't mastered her Shikai yet? Then she would just master her Shikai and attain Bankai all at once! She wasn't about to give up just because of one minor set back. She had come too far for that. What had she trained for these past weeks? To make sure that all of her friends and loved ones came out of this war alive no matter the cost! She would do it for her brother, for Renji, for Ishida, Chad and Inoue, for Isshin and Ichigo's sisters, she would do it for her Captain and she would do it for Nel and Ichigo. But one thing she refused to do was give up. She would not fail. She would come out of this test, alive and succesful!

With renewed determination she raised her head and looked Shirayuki straight in the eyes.

"I'm ready and I will not fail!"

Mere seconds after she'd spoken those words her eyes closed and darkness claimed her.

=0=

Nel was seated in one of the few gardens of Las Noches, surrounded by the smell of fresh grass and pink leaves of the blossoming trees all around her. She liked to come here as it was a nice change from the depressing desert of Hueco Mundo. She reckoned it was one of the few things that had actually made it worth it to join Aizen. Not only had he created a bright blue sky with a sun shining down upon Las Noches, he had also created a handful of small gardens within the Capital city. Of course Nel knew it was all an illusion, fooling the eyes and nose and all the other senses but it was nice nonetheless.

As usual, she had come here again to ponder and think about the events of the past few weeks, she had to admit things had been rather hectic. First off there had been Ichigo's mission to Seireitei. Back when the order had been issued Nel's first train of thought was that Aizen wanted Ichigo dead after all, that his power was too great a risk to try to contain but she had kept quiet. She had had faith in Ichigo's powers and it had been rewarded. Ichigo had returned, albeit not uninjured, with the Shinigami Hinamori Momo whom he was supposed to bring back with him. She remembered how she had got an weird feeling in her stomach when Ichigo had told her that he promised Rukia not to take a single life. He had kept his promise to her despite the fact that it did make his mission a whole lot harder.

Like it did all the time she felt content and satisfied whenever she thought of Ichigo. She had often tried to figure out why this happened but she could not be certain of the reason. While as a Hollow she never truly felt any emotion at all, this all changed after Aizen had used the Hougyoku on her and turned her in an Arrancar. It was as if an entire new world just opened up in front of her eyes. Her perception of everything she saw, thought and felt had changed completely. She realised then that she felt emotions. Things that made her happy, worried, sad and sometimes even angry or jealous. One thing she figured out rather quickly was that whenever she was around Ichigo she was always happy. No matter what it was they were doing, they could just be walking through the halls of Las Noches or lying on the couch in one of their quarters.

At times she wondered if Ichigo felt the same thing as she did. She did think he did. After all he always seemed to enjoy being around her too and even went out of his way to please her which often made the odd feeling in her stomach intensify and sometimes even left her speechless. But she also realised that this...attraction? Is that what she should call it? This attraction also had some negative sides to it.

For one she always went out of her way to make sure Ichigo was safe. Of course she was hardly required to protect him from any bodily harm. She hated to admit it but in terms of raw power, swordmanship, speed and even in terms of a strategic mind Ichigo had long since surpassed her. The role were pretty much reversed now since their first meeting in the Menos Forest. Nonetheless Nel knew that there were some areas in which Ichigo did need protection occassionally. The most recent example of this was his latest mission.

When Ichigo was ordered to fight his father with the intend to kill Nel was enraged. Not at Ichigo, but at Aizen. It was a cruel order one which was made even worse since Ichigo had gotten his memories back. She knew what choice Ichigo would make but she wasn't sure what to think of it herself. One thing Ichigo had always been was a man of his word. He would swear his loyalty to Aizen if Aizen gave him the power he so desired. His wish had been granted and so Ichigo was now bound to Aizen untill he was dismissed or untill either of them died. So logic stated that Ichigo would obey Aizen's order and of course Nel did understand. But at the same time she wanted to save him from the emotional trauma he might've received had he actually killed his father. She confronted Ichigo and perhaps that had been a mistake. She had wanted to tell him not to kill his father but at the last minute the voice of reason told her that wasn't an option. This was likely another one of Aizen's tests, to find out if he was still loyal to Aizen's cause, even after regaining his memories, to find out if he could do what was necessary even if he had a past with the person he was facing. Nel realised that the argument she had about his mission had been unfair to him and it had been completely unreasonable as well.

Luckily, she had received an order from Aizen himself when Ichigo and Isshin's fight was finally drawing to a climax. It had allowed her to save Isshin's life and Ichigo's conscience in the process and she was glad that she had in the end been able to do something about the whole situation.

But it was more then that. She felt like she owed Ichigo. After all Ichigo had saved her life when Szayel, who was supposed to double-cross Nnoitra, double-crossed them instead. He had even taking it upon himself to deliver judgement upon the two ex-Espada causing Szayel to be removed from the Espada and Nnoitra to be exiled after he fled from Las Noches during the aftermath of their battle. But even if she didn't owe Ichigo, she knew she would always do anything she could to make life easier for him, to make him happy. She really wasn't sure what that meant.

Sometimes she wished she still had memories left of before she died. Perhaps then she would know what it was she was feeling. After all, all those living in the real world dealt with emotions daily. But it was hopeless, she had died centuries ago and even if she had any memories left of her time among the living after she was turned into a Hollow, she just couldn't remember. She had thought of asking Ichigo about it, there was a chance that he would know what she was feeling since he hadn't been dead for a very long time yet. Yet, for some reason she was hesitant to do so, she wasn't comfortable with the idea of telling him how he made her feel and she was sure she would be extremely embarrassed if he didn't have that same weird feeling.

"I brought you some lunch," An all too familiar voice called out to her, disrupting her from her thoughts. Raising her gaze she met the eyes of the man she'd been thinking about for the past couple of hours. She smiled at him before she spoke. "Thanks, Ichi, how'd you know I was here?"

He took a moment to reply, taking his time to sit down next to her in the soft grass. "You always come out here when you want some quiet time to think. I don't mind missing you for a couple of hours or giving you some time for yourself but at the very least you shouldn't skip lunch like that."

Looking at the soft and fresh grass beneath her feet she couldn't help but smile softly. She guessed that in the end it really wasn't that she was just looking out for Ichigo, he was looking out for her too. She only hoped they would both come out of the war that was looming on the horizon, alive. "_Ah._ You're right. I'm sorry, I got lost in thought."

Looking sideways she noticed that Ichigo had an understanding look spread across his face. She was certain that he too, often got lost in thought about many a thing. The war that was coming, how Rukia was doing, Ggio and his training his father, Aizen and she hoped he thought about her too.

"Nel," Ichigo spoke, bring her attention back to him. Turning her head around she noticed he'd taken to sitting with his back against the nearest tree. "Come sit with me, will you?" He asked, a bit uncertain. It was funny, Nel thought, how the powerful, respected and feared _Primera _Espada could always get rather uncertain when it concerned things like this.

"Of course," She replied, smiling brightly as she got up, walked over to him and sat down again, resting her back against his chest and laying her head against his shoulder. Her earlier thoughts had made her curious however as to what exactly Ichigo could be thinking about these days.

"Ichi," Nel spoke up, to gain his attention. "What are you thinking about?" She chose to ask, not sure if it'd be proper to ask what he'd thought about over the past couple of days. After all, a persons thoughts were their own, it could be considered rude to ask for it. Though, she didn't think Ichigo would ever perceive it as rude, especially not coming from her, while she wasn't exactly sure if Ichigo had those weird feelings in his stomach as well she was certain that she was probably together with Rukia, the most important person in his life.

"Rukia, the upcoming war, you," He replied.

Silence ensued after that. Nel wasn't sure how to continue. They were also subjects she had thought about a lot over the past couple of weeks and she never really knew what she should think of it. For one she didn't really want to go to war. Many people died in wars and it wasn't as if they were going to be fighting the average Hollow residing in the Menos Forest, they were up against Shinigami Captains. The best of the best of Soul Society.

"I'm not sure I want to go to war, Nel," He spoke up, mimicking her thoughts. "I've never battled on such a large scale before. Many Shinigami and Arrancar will die, that's inevitable. I'm confident in my powers but I'm afraid Nel. Afraid that you'll die, afraid that I'll die."

Now this surprised Nel. She knew Ichigo was quite a thinker but she also knew that in the end, he loved the thrill of battle. She didn't think he didn't want to go to war but she was glad that he didn't. And the fact that he didn't want to lose her flattered her, she was glad he felt that way. She did notice though that Ichigo had sounded rather sad and so she decided to attempt to cheer him up. "_Ne_ Ichi," She started, regaining his attention, "At the very least, you won't have to be afraid to lose your life! Your powerful, you defeated two Captains without even releasing, there's may not even be a Captain in Soul Society that can stand up to you!" She exclaimed with a bright smile.

Turned her head to the side she saw a slight smile form on Ichigo's face as he shook his head, but it was gone again before she knew it. "You're wrong." He stated flatly. Much to Nel's surprise, his voice had regained it's former seriousness, making her realise that perhaps it had been the wrong time to joke. But before she could even think of what to say Ichigo already continued. "My father pressured me greatly after he had gone Bankai. I'm not sure if I could've even beaten him without releasing." He explained. Nel had not heard much of the conversation the two had shared during their encounter while she was watching them from the security room but she knew it had been hectic. She wondered what he was trying to say however, he obviously wasn't done yet, which was proven to her a second later. "I know that there are at the very least three Captains in Soul Society who outclass my father, probably by a pretty large margin as well."

Now Nel understood, he comparing them to one another. His father was powerful, already pressing him to release if he wanted to defeat him. But if there were even more powerful Shinigami out there, there may be a chance that Ichigo couldn't beat them. Deciding Nel wanted to know who they were so that she knew when to keep an eye out, should Ichigo ever come up against them in battle. "Who are they?"

"Soul Society's Commander-General, Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni and his two students, Ukitake Jyuushirou and Kyouraku Shunsui. They are the first, thirteenth and eighth Division Captains respectively, and they should not be underestimated. Aizen once told me, that of every Captain in Soul Society he knew about both their Shikai and Bankai but of the aforementioned three he only knew their Shikai's, he could barely describe the abilities of their Shikai. Even worse, the only thing Aizen told me about their Bankai's was that neither of the three had used it in over threehundred years." Ichigo explained.

Nel's mouth instantly fell open. There were figures powerful enough that they hadn't had to go all out for more then threehundred years in Soul Society? Nel didn't know much of Soul Society but she did know that while it knew long periods of peace it also knew many times of conflict and sometimes even all out war. Set aside the times of conflict and war there was always the lone Vasto Lorde that left Hueco Mundo to test his strength in Soul Society. This happened at the very least every fifty years or so, but none had ever returned alive. Nel knew an average Vasto Lorde was more powerful then an average Captain, but she was also certain that the three Shinigami Captains Ichigo had just spoken of were anything but average.

"But enough of that for now, Nel," Ichigo spoke up again, "Let's just enjoy the afternoon for now, according to Aizen-sama, the war is quite a ways off."

Nel nodded in agreement as she grabbed her lunch and settled herself back against Ichigo's chest.

=0=

When Rukia regained consciousness the first thing she noticed was that the ground she was lying upon was very cold. Opening her eyes she found that the entire area around her was completely surrounded by pearl white snow. She instantly realized where she was and what she was doing here. Shirayuki had apparently taken her to her inner world to start the test that would determine if she was ready to be granted Bankai.

Standing up Rukia immediately laid eyes upon the person she was thinking about mere seconds ago. Shirayuki smiled her usual kind smile at Rukia once before it quickly dissapeared and was replaced by an expression of utmost seriousness. "Let me make one thing very clear, Rukia," Shirayuki spoke to her, "I believe it may be a bit too early to take this test right now."

Rukia had feared something like this would happen but she was determined to take the test. She had made up her mind and was now ready and willing to give it her all. She did not however get a chance to speak as Shirayuki quickly continued. "But nonetheless, you have continued to surprise me time and time again. If there is one person who can do this, then it is you, I have faith in you."

Rukia let go of her determined expression for a second to express her gratitude with a soft smile and a nod. She decided not to speak and wait for Shirayuki to continue, which she did, not long after. "The rules are simple; you have to land a fatal blow on me before I land one on you. In other words, kill me before I kill you. Other then that, there is no time limit, you can take as long as you want but the use of _Kidou_ is prohibited you are only allowed to use me and my abilities."

Rukia swallowed heavily as she heard this. She had not known exactly what she could expect, according to her brother the different kinds of tests varied greatly among Shinigami. The only thing they all had in common was that they were all extremely challenging and always put the Shinigami's life at risk.

Believing she understood the rules she nodded at Shirayuki once. "As soon as you decide to draw your Zanpakutou this test will begin, it won't end before you have defeated me or have failed to so, resulting in your unfortunate death." Shirayuki spoke with a small hint of sadness breaking through her stoic demeanor.

Hoping to surprise Shirayuki right off the bet Rukia instantly drew her Zanpakutou and punctured the ground beneath her feet once, she quickly continued to puncture the ground in front of her four more times creating a semi circle around and immediately took a battle stance. "Tsugi no Mai-"

"Tsukishiro!" Shirayuki's voice interupted her and before Rukia got a chance to wonder why Shirayuki had opted to use Tsukishiro when they were so far away from one another a large glowing circle of ice, at least twice as big as Rukia's usually were, erupted beneath her feet. Knowing what would happen next she instantly Shunpo'd away and managed to leave the circle a mere moment before the pillar of ice erupted from the ground.

Rukia knew now that she had been right about two things. First off she had indeed not mastered her Shikai yet as Shirayuki had displayed only moments ago. And secondly this was going to be hard, much harder then she could have anticipated beforehand.

On the other hand, she knew what to do now. One thing was very obvious. One could not possibly defeat his Zanpakutou spirit without being at least equal to it in every way. Since she was prohibited from using Kidou, Rukia had to first master her Shikai abilities to get on an equal footing. So for now no need for direct combat was needed, she needed to keep her distance and figure out how her Zanpakutou Spirit managed to use the dances without doing the actual dance and uttering the complete incantation.

For starters she decided she should just give it a try exactly the way Shirayuki had just displayed.

"Never let your guard down!" Shirayuki's voice interupted her train of thoughts far closer then Rukia would've liked. Raising her head she found Shirayuki mere yards away from her position and Rukia only just in time managed to raise her blade to block Shirayuki's swipe. Ice shattered of the Zanpakutou spirits blade as metal connected with metal but Rukia held her ground. Remember that she had to keep her distance for now she Shunpo'd several yards away and pointed her blade towards Shirayuki once more.

"Hakuren!" Rukia shouted full of determination, only for it to be crushed as a small cloud of snow erupted from the tip of her Zanpakutou. Before she even got the time to figure out what she was doing wrong Shirayuki was on her again launching blow after blow and forcing Rukia on the defensive. "Not good enough! Can you figure it out on your own? Can you figure out how to get on equal footing with me before it is too late?" Shirayuki asked her calmly, all the while continuing her relentless assault.

"I can! And I will!" Rukia shouted out. Determination filling her very being again as the duo locked blades once more. This time however, Rukia almost instantly overpowered the taller Shirayuki and pushed her off, causing her to slide backwards several yards. Deciding this was her chance she tried again, but this time she pumped more reiatsu into the attack.

"Hakuren!" She shouted out once more with her blade pointed towards Shirayuki. But again, no more but a snowcloud erupted from the tip of her Zanpakutou, though it was remarkably bigger. And then it hit Rukia. Her Zanpakutou's abilities were reiatsu based and thus they were remarkably similar to Kidou. And with Kidou the trick was not to pump enough reiatsu into the spell, it was to channel the reiatsu within your body in the right direction. She understood now. Something had felt off the last two times she tried to fire her Hakuren, it was the reiatsu being channeled throughout her body. It wasn't being channeled in the same direction as it always did when she completed the entire dance.

To believe that it was this simple, and it was perfect too. Kidou just so happened to be one of Rukia's specialities. Now she just needed to perform the entire dance once in order to figure out in what direction she should guide her reiatsu and she would be all set to work it out!

Rukia could clearly see the figure of Shirayuki preparing to come at her again but she figured that this may be her only chance at least for a while to come to attempt to figure out the direction in which she needed to channel her reiatsu. Making up her mind she punctured the ground beneath her once causing the all too familiar glowing circle to appear beneath her feet again. Next she punctured the ground in front of her four more times, creating a semi circle, this time paying very close attention to the way in which her reiatsu was being guided. Looking up she saw Shirayuki coming closer and closer, she wasn't sure if she would make it now but there was no going back.

"Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" Rukia shouted out just as Shirayuki lashed out with her sword. Before she got a chance to do any serious damage however a large blast of ice burst out of the tip of her Zanpakutou. Knowing what was coming, Shirayuki instantly dodged to the side, barely managing to avoid being hit by the entirety of her own ability but nonetheless her left arm was stuck frozen in the icy blast that Rukia had created.

Rukia at the same time was ecstatic even if this didn't show. She had figured it out completely and was now ready to put her theory to the test. Looking up she found that Shirayuki had already managed to free her arm. Regaining her battle stance, Rukia didn't even notice her arm was bleeding severely from the slash Shirayuki had hit her with a mere moment before Rukia had fired her Hakuren.

=0=

Byakuya was seated next to the bed in which lay the form of his unconscious sister. After Rukia collapsed and her Zanpakutou spirit, Sode no Shirayuki, dissapeared, Byakuya instantly knew what had happened. Sode no Shirayuki had decided Rukia's test should be taken within her Inner World. It was rare, for this kind of test to need to be taken there, but not unheard of. Most of the cases in which this happened the Zanpakutou spirit needed almost complete control of the world around him. Something that was not within their powers in Soul Society.

Byakuya silently scolded himself for not thinking of this earlier so that he could've mentioned it to Rukia. She was likely not as prepared as she could've been for the test that she was undergoing right now for more then one reason. Byakuya knew very well that Rukia had not completely mastered her Shikai or at least that the possibility she hadn't was there. He didn't need her to actually tell him, her silence had spoken volumes. Nonetheless it was not his place to tell her not to take the test just yet. It was her decision and her's alone, the only one even allowed to interfere with that decision would be Sode no Shirayuki. Sadly, according to Rukia's current state, that was not the case.

No more then ten minutes after Rukia had passed out a fairly deep cut had appeared along her left arm and not longer after more and more of them started appearing as well. Though none as severe as the first one. Most of them were just light scratches and shallow cuts along with a bruise here and there. Despite her injuries however Byakuya had reason to believe that she was starting to do better now. She had now been inside her inner world for almost five hours and while the first three had been very taxing on Rukia, hardly any new injuries had appeared during the last two hours. Making Byakuya believe that perhaps she was doing rather well, which if he was being honest with himself, really didn't surprise him.

Over the last few weeks he had gotten to know Rukia better then ever. She truly was a Shinigami with a lot of untapped potential, potential that was slowly but surely being realized. That along with all the hard work and time she had put into her training made him believe that one day she would undoubtedly become one of Soul Society's finest.

The style of Zanjutsu he had been learning her worked absolutely brilliant for her and while she wasn't very proficient with it at first, once she figured out the idea behind it she started improving rapidly. Combine that with the fact that her proficiency with Shunpo was getting dangerously close to Byakuya's level already and her natural talent at Kidou, Byakuya could honestly say that he believed she might one day just surpass him.

But despite Rukia's rapid improvement Byakuya was still hesitant about allowing her to be granted a seated rank. He had given his word of course and he would not go back on it, ever. But with the current rate at which she was improving and the current situation of the Gotei 13 in general, Byakuya was almost certain that she would be called upon to fill one of the open Captain spots as soon as word got out that Rukia had achieved Bankai.

While it was a great honor to be offered such an almost legendary position it also exposed one to much greater danger. Hisane had requested him to care for Rukia and to make sure she stayed safe and becoming a Captain couldn't exactly be called safe. But reason told him that Hisana would understand that at one point or another Rukia would have to start living her own life and be able to make her own choices rather then have them all made for her. But regardless of her rank in the Gotei 13, Rukia's safety along with many others would soon be at risk anyhow.

Byakuya was very troubled by the fact that there had been several Captains who had agreed to take the fight to Aizen. The Commander-General had not said much about it but Byakuya knew that he too was doubtful. That he saw both the advantages and the disadvantages of such an act. But the Commander-General wasn't all powerful, if he was outvoted there was not much he could do about it. All war-time orders were up to all of the Captains to decide together and not a single individual had an absolute say about such matters, not without the Central 46. Byakuya didn't like to admit it but he rather dreaded assaulting the fortress of Las Noches. It wasn't that he wasn't confident of his skills or even of his fellow Captains, no. What he dreaded was not knowing. Not knowing what was waiting for them there, not knowing how large Aizen's forces were, not knowing how powerful his Espada were.

Uncertainty. Zaraki had defeated one of them, despite the fact that Byakuya thought of the man as a brute he couldn't deny the fact that was possibly one of the more powerful Captains. Another one was defeated by the third seat of Zaraki's squad, Madarame Ikkaku. Yet, another one defeated both Soifon and Hitsugaya at the same time and even worse was that that same Hollow defeated Kurosaki Isshin, one of the few men Byakuya would acknowledge as his superior in battle.

Could the difference in power of each member of the Espada be so huge? The Espada were Aizen's elite, the absolute best he had created. Could there be an elite among the elite? And that was without even mentioning the three traitorous Captains themselves. Tousen, Ichimaru and of course, Aizen. In the end, it would come down to thirteen against ten. The ten remaining Gotei Captains against Aizen, Ichimaru, Tousen and their ten Espada. The odds were everything but favorable. In Byakuya's mind Aizen had too much of an advantage, they would be on enemy territory without any knowledge of the amount of forces they had hidden within Las Noches.

As he looked at Rukia once more he could only hope that Soul Society would not go through with this plan.

=0=

Rukia was relentlessly attacking Shirayuki, not giving her a second's chance to switch to the offense. She had managed to land a handful of shallow and some slightly deeper cuts along Shirayuki's arms but had yet to get around Shirayuki's guard completely in order to land a fatal blow. She was however making steady progress.

Ever since figuring out how to master her Shikai, Rukia had spent what felt like hours mastering both techniques to the same degree Shirayuki could use them. While she was, by now, very adept at using both of them, able to use them at will and even increase or decrease their power she had paid a heavy price for it. In order to practise them freely she had been forced to take a lot of risks some of which had almost cost her her life, multiple times.

She had no idea how long she had been going at it for now but she did realise that already she was growing very weary. She knew that when she started it had been early morning and by this time the sun had already been replaced by the moon. Giving the icy landscape a rather eerie glow.

Realising that she had to get this over with sometime soon, before she started to tire out completely, Rukia started redoubling her efforts. Using quick and efficient strikes which Shirayuki appeared to have trouble blocking. As she was slowly forcing Shirayuki further and further backwards Rukia went for a cheap slash across the knee cap causing Shirayuki to fall down on one knee. Pulling back her Zanpakutou she readied it to stab her companion straight through the heart.

"Tsukishiro!" Shirayuki shouted out, causing the ground beneath the two of them to start glowing an eerie white forcing Rukia to retreat in a whisper of Shunpo. Forced to watch while Shirayuki was imprisoned within her own technique.

Before Rukia even had a chance to think of what to do next, an all too familiar voice echo'd all around her. "It's time for your final test, Rukia. Defeat all four of us, and my Bankai will be yours to command."

_'Four?' _Rukia wondered, slightly panicked. Before she could think any further on that however three sculptures of ice started to rise out of the ground in front of her. Slowly but certainly they were being molded into the shape of three persons and before she knew it they had been molded in genuine copies of three persons she knew all too well. Right before her eyes stood her two best friends Abarai Renji and Kurosaki Ichigo as well as her brother Kuchiki Byakuya. All three of them looking blankly in front of them. As if on que, Shirayuki's prison of ice shattered, revealing Rukia's fourth and most important opponent.

"I am not a fool, Shirayuki," Rukia spoke to her, "I know that they are not real and I do not have a problem fighting some ice sculptures that merely look like my friends." Rukia knew that, while that was true, she was well aware of the fact that she was quickly starting to tire out and would've already had trouble defeating Shirayuki alone at this point. Fighting four opponents at once seemed to be a lost cause, and she could only hope that those clones Shirayuki had created weren't as powerful as their true selfs were.

Nonetheless Rukia would not give up. Readying herself she got in a battle stance before charging at Renji. Her Zanpakutou at the ready. Out of the corner of her eye she could clearly see the figure of Ichigo speeding towards her and her brother coming at her from her other side. Spinning side-wards mid charge Rukia deflected his vertical blow with relative ease, instantly turning around she deflected her brothers attack next. Looking back towards Renji she saw the released form of Zabimaru coming straight at her forcing her to duck. Improving on the spot Rukia stepped to the right once more and with a quick vertical slice of her Zanpakutou severed Zabimaru in half. Before she got a chance to continue her charge towards Renji however, a blinding pain originated from her back, realising the source of the pain had been Ichigo she instantly Shunpo'd forward and reappeared at Renji's side. Raising her Zanpakutou she prepared to slice his head off with one clean cut, only for it to be blocked by another Zanpakutou she knew only too well. Before she got a chance to figure out a way out of her current predicament however she felt another source of reiatsu charging at her from behind, knowing it was Ichigo she acted merely on instinct.

Grabbing Renji by his Shihakusyou, leaving him defenseless with his Zanpakutou in no shape to do battle, she pointed her Zanpakutou at his chest and prepared to pierce it.

"_Hadou #4 - Byakurai."_ The voice of her brother called out, she could feel his index finger clearly pushing against her stomach and it was no more then a second later that a flash of blue illuminated the immediate area and a burning pain originated from her stomach.

The pain made her eyes droopy. She had trouble seeing Ichigo from the corner of her eyes, nonetheless, she could see the red orb of reiatsu charging on the tip of his fingers just in time. Taking a firmer grip on Renji's Shihakusyou she twisted him around, pushing her brother aside in the process, causing Renji's back to be facing the approaching Cero. "R-Rukia, what are you doing?!" Renji's panicked voice called out to her. Rukia ignored this, it was all fake, despite her current condition she knew that it was fake. And so merely a second before the Cero would impact with Renji, Rukia thrust her Zanpakutou forward, piercing Renji through his heart.

A loud bang reverberated through her Inner World as Rukia could feel herself being catapulted backwards as the Cero impacted with Renji's body. She could feel burns covering her arms from top to button. Her Shihakusyou, melted into her skin from the shoulder till the elbow and she could feel her skin ripping with every slight movement of her arms she made. She was so very tired, too tired. Opening her eyes slightly she could see the figures of her impassive looking friend and brother standing in front of her. She knew of course that they had been there, but she was reminded of something now. She could not fail this test. She had promised Ichigo she would grow powerful, her brother had faith in the fact that she would come out of it alive. She could not dissapoint them merely because she was too tired and hurting.

Ushing her Zanpakutou as a crutch to stand up, she formulated her final battle plan. She was unsure if it would work, raising her gaze to the impassive looking Shirayuki standing behind Ichigo and her brother, Rukia gave one weary nod, for what reason she did not know, perhaps that she was as ready as she was going to be, perhaps that she had appreciated Shirayuki being her Zanpakutou during her career as a Shinigami, Rukia didn't know. As if on cue, Rukia saw the two figures of Ichigo and Byakuya charging at her, Zanpakutou's at the ready. The first thing she noticed was that the both of them had their Zanpakutou pulled back at their sides, signifying they were going to abuse her current condition by going for a thrust, which was far harder to block then an ordinary swing. As they got closer she could clearly see that both of them were going for one side of her chest, Ichigo going for her lungs and Byakuya aiming for her heart. In a last ditch effort Rukia used her free hand to grab Ichigo's Zanpakutou and push it down, even if only slightly. She repeated the same thing by using her Zanpakutou in her other hand, to push her brother's blade slightly off course. It was only a mere moment later that Rukia had to grit her teeth in order not to scream out in agony. Never before had she felt pain like this, being impaled by two Zanpakutou's at once, both missing critical spots by only mere milimeters. She knew now was her turn however, pulling back her sword she impaled her brother in his stomach and with her other hand grabbed Ichigo by the wrist of his sword hand.

Raising her gaze to look at both of her loved ones for a short second, she smirked before speaking the final word that would leave them to the same fate as Renji.

"_Tsukishiro!" _

The effect was instantaneous, ice was starting to cover their feet, their legs, their waist, their arms, their chest and finally their head too. Both of them were frozen solid and before they even had a chance to break out of their prisons Rukia yanked her sword out of Byakuya's mid section and thrust her open palm against Ichigo's chest, causing both statues to shatter into a thousand pieces.

Had the current situation been better. Rukia would've cried out in joy at her victory. But her victory was all but assured. Raising her head she locked eyes with her last opponent. Sode no Shirayuki was standing no more then twenty yards in front of her, awaiting Rukia's next move. Rukia's eyes were heavy and her vision was faltering. Nonetheless, step by step she got closer to Shirayuki untill she too, started walking towarsd Rukia.

When Rukia had almost reached Shirayuki she took one look back. She could see the dead body of a fake Renji and the piles of broken ice that signified her fallen brother and friend, Kurosaki Ichigo. But she could clearly see she had paid a heavy price for their defeat. The path of her short walk in Shirayuki's direction was covered and soaked with blood and she was starting to have more and more trouble to keep her eyes open. With every movement she could feel more and more of the skin on her arms being ripped off and the burn caused by Byakuya's Kidou spell ached immensely. That was not to mention the agonizing pain originating from near her shoulder, just above her heart, and the very same pain milimeters below where her lungs would have been.

Realising that she couldn't see, she opened her eyes once more only to lay them upon the figure of Shirayuki standing right in front of her, her Zanpakutou raised above her head and poised to strike down at Rukia. She raised her own Zanpakutou just above her shoulder in a half hearted attempt to block Shirayuki's attack. Her arms were heavy and she could not manage to put much strength behind the block. When Shirayuki's Zanpakutou shot downwards Rukia heard a sound of metal breaking followed by a blinding pain originating from her right shoulder and ending somewhere close to her left hip. She was only half aware of the fact that she was probably cut diagonally across the chest.

Losing the last of her strength she fell forward, hitting something soft and letting her eyes fall closed.

=0=

_"Promise me Rukia," A voice rang out in the darkness. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't recall who it belonged to._

_"Promise that you'll grow strong. This war will take lives, countless lives. Promise me that you'll grow strong enough to survive this war one way or another." The same voice called out to her. But this time it even appeared to be pleading. She still wasn't sure who the voice belonged to but she realized that she should know who it was. Yet, she was ashamed that she couldn't add a face to this voice._

_"Rukia," It called out again. She was certain that he was speaking to her, it was dark but Rukia knew she was alone. "I want you to know that next to Nelliel you are my dearest friend and I will always treasure the bond we share."_

_Ichigo! It was Ichigo that was speaking to her. She remembered. They were memories of her time in captivity in Las Noches. She remembered now that these were some of the words Ichigo had spoken to her. Words that had meant so much to her. She had promised him, promised him to grow strong enough so that she could survive this war. But no longer did she want that strength just to ensure her own survival. She wanted to make sure that her brother and Renji and her Captain and Nel and above all of them Ichigo too, got out of this war alive, no matter what it took!_

_That was the vow she had made to herself, she would not allow any of them to die and with her gone, who would be there to protect them!?_

_Slowly but certainly, Rukia forced the darkness away. Silently thanking Ichigo for his support during her times of need._

=0=

Shirayuki looked down upon Rukia with a sad expression. The moment she had broken Rukia's Zanpakutou and Rukia's body fell against her she knew that it was over. Rukia had given it her all and more. She had even managed to defeat the three opponents Shirayuki had chosen for her, a feat that Shirayuki had not expected her to accomplish, considering her already weary condition at the time. Of course it took a great deal of self-sacrifice to even get that done but nonetheless, it was very impressive.

Shirayuki had gotten more and more impressed by Rukia's performance as the hours passed. Rukia had both managed to avoid critical hits by staying on a distance and while taking great risks, managed to master her Shikai almost completely while being relentlessly assault by Shirayuki. Yes, Shirayuki was impressed indeed. Even more so, she was certain, that had Rukia mastered her Shikai beforehand she would have gotten through the entire ordeal, alive.

Sighing, she tightened the grip on her Zanpakutou's hilt and raised it above her head once more. Preparing to strike Rukia down while she was in her arms Shirayuki lowered her gaze to look at the Shinigami that was so precious to her. Her eyes immediately widened as looked down into the wide open eyes of Kuchiki Rukia, her eyes were full of the very same determination that had been there at the start of the test.

_"San no Mai, Shirafune."_

Feeling Rukia's broken Zanpakutou being pressed against the left side of her chest Shirayuki smiled as the blade reformed itself and pierced through her heart. Rukia had done what she said she would do after all. Shirayuki knew now that she should not have doubted Rukia for even a second and she promised herself not to repeat that mistake in the future.

=0=

_Author's Notes._

_Pfew let me start off by saying that this chapter has probably been the hardest one to write up untill now. Now let me add a couple of things that I feel need to be said. First off Shirayuki does not resemble the Shirayuki from the canon filler at all and this was intended. You can like it or you can dislike it, fact remains that is one thing that will not change. Secondly the copies of Ichigo, Byakuya and Renji that Rukia faced during her test were in no way as strong as the original ones. They merely took the forms of those particular three in the hopes of throwing Rukia off. Another sort of test if you will, not everything is what it seems._

_Lastly, I am very curious to know what everyone thought of this particular chapter. Like I said this is without a doubt the chapter I've had the most trouble writing up untill now, and that says a lot as I've written several others that very challenging for me personally._

_If everything goes the way I planned it you can expect the next chapter somewhere around thursday of the next week. Again, if you're all lucky it could be sooner and if you're unlucky it could take a little longer._

_Ja ne!_

_~Bruuz_


	17. Civil War

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach!

* * *

**Snowecat: **Quite an embarrassing mistake. I thank you for correcting me on that. I wouldn't have wanted to leave it in there. Once again, thanks for the correction.

**Ronin504: **You are right. He has, at least in Canon. It's just one minor thing I changed around a bit in this story. Trust me when I say that his opinion and wise words count heavily among the Gotei 13, but he does not have absolute power in my story.

**SilentShadow55:** To be honest I haven't planned on writing any specific amount of chapters. I have planned out mostly the entire story but I can't give you a number of chapters. I don't think I can even give you an amount of words but one thing I am pretty certain about is that it will exceed 300k in word count.

As for your second question. Development in that area will be slow and it won't actually happen for quite a while yet but trust me when I say that it will happen, and when it does I'm pretty sure you'll love the way in which it will happen.

Lastly, I understand the request but trust me when I say that I'm working as fast as I can. My life ain't exactly going the best way possible at the moment and I'm very occupied with things such as work and I'm even schooling myself whenever I'm not working. Time to write is few and I never do write unless I can write for several hours at once. That, and if I did write any faster I honestly believe that the quality of my chapters would go backwards dramatically. So I can only hope you'll understand that I'm working on this as fast as I can.

**Getsuga Tensou: **There is no such thing as a lame review! I'm glad you liked the chapter.

**HiddenMaster: **I was actually wondering when someone would bring up Zangetsu. I do believe I have mentioned this somewhere before, probably in one of the first few chapters.

Anyway I don't know for sure if I said it before so just let me say it anyway. Zangetsu doesn't exist in my story. At least not in Ichigo. Isshin is the one who wields and Zangetsu and thus also has Zangetsu as his Zanpakutou Spirit. It's a rather big change I agree, but truth be told I just couldn't figure out a good Zanpakutou that would fit with Isshin and I actually thought Zangetsu would work pretty well with him.

Regardless I'm glad you enjoyed the Bankai test, I tried my absolute best on that and I'm glad most of you seem to have liked it.

**DarkJason:** Exactly. One thing I would like to point out however is that Ichigo doesn't think he is weaker then the top three Captains in Soul Society, rather he is starting to realise he isn't all powerful and that there may be Shinigami out there that _can _actually defeat him. And if there would be anyone who could, he knows that it would be either or all of those three.

**Aozacki: **I'm very flattered by your words. I do have to say that I agree. Most fanfic tend to follow a line that has been set before by others. While this is admittedly my first story I intended from the very beginning to follow my own plot because I got annoyed by the countless stories that followed a plotline that was set by someone else.

I'm really glad to find out that you've liked this particular fanfic because it deviates from most plots.

* * *

**Chapter 16: Civil War.**

Rukia was standing on top of Soukyoku Hill, her close friend Abarai Renji standing to her near right. It had been exactly two weeks since her gruelling trial inside Shirayuki's Inner World. Looking back on it she considered herself lucky to be standing here now, alive and well.

It had taken her almost three complete days to recover from all of her injuries, despite Unohana's obvious skill at healing almost any injury. Her injuries had been so severe the Fourth Division Captain had been unsure she would even be able to stabilize Rukia's condition before her injuries would take it's toll on Rukia's body.

Rukia had been lucky that her brother had already gathered her up and gotten her to the Fourth Division's infirmary the moment she received burn on her stomach from one of her brother's very own favourite Kidou spells: _Hadou #4 – Byakurai._

From there on her condition had only worsened and by the time Byakuya had gotten Rukia safely into the infirmary and had alerted Unohana of her condition she had already received the two stab wounds that allowed her to finish off the fake images of her brother and Ichigo.

Unohana had tried everything within her power from that point onwards but every healing Kidou she used was rejected by Rukia's body, something Unohana was sure had something to do with the trial she was currently facing. None where allowed to interfere before Rukia finished her battle. It was not long after Rukia had received the final and most threatening wound on her chest that the healing Kidou finally started to work on her body and her condition was slowly but certainly starting to stabilize.

It was only a day after Rukia had been discharged from the infirmary that she had already started working together with Shirayuki in order to get to know her Bankai and become proficient enough with it to, at the very least, be able to use it in battle.

Ever since being discharged it had been the only thing she had been working on, together with Shirayuki, her brother and Renji. While she had not needed a whole lot of time to figure out that her Bankai was not one of the easiest to wield she did realise that, give enough time to master or at least become proficient with it, it would be a force to be reckoned with.

Shirayuki had given her several very important hints but had not given any direct instructions so as to let Rukia figure out a way to use it that would suit her best. While this annoyed Rukia at first she had, over time, learned to understand why. Her Bankai allowed her a great deal of leniency in terms of how she wanted to use it. Other then Shirayuki it had been her brother that had given her some good advice and tips on how to combine it best with her current style of combat and his advice had proven more then useful. But the one person above all that had been of the most help had been Renji, her childhood friend.

She had to admit that ever since she had returned to Soul Society she had not seen him that often, mainly because she had been extremely busy with her training. Renji however had not sit still during that time either. He too, had been training ever since Rukia had been taken and had vowed to himself to either bring her back alive or take his revenge upon the person that had taken her away, Aizen Sousuke.

It had been the day before Rukia intended to accept the trial to obtain her own Bankai that Renji had come to her and told her that in a few hours time he would attempt to achieve his own Bankai. He had told her that he wanted to fight in this war and that he wanted to make a difference and he would do anything he could to become more powerful. Before he got a chance to go any further however Rukia told him that she understood, and that she too was intending to go for Bankai a day later. They had wished each other luck and had vowed to come out of that test alive. A vow they had both kept, even if only barely.

While Renji had not been injured as severely as Rukia had been his injuries had still been severe though not as life threatening. He had gotten out of his test several hours before Rukia had completed hers. While Renji's test had in the end, been less life threatening on him it had however taken quite a while longer for him to achieve it's goal.

It was rather ironic, Rukia thought, how only about a handful of Shinigami would ever manage to achieve Bankai in more then a century, Rukia and her childhood friend had both gotten it on the same day.

Renji was the best sparring partner she could have wished for however. Both of them now wielded powerful yet immature Bankai's. While Rukia could have battled against her brother he wouldn't have been nearly as effective a sparring partner as Renji had been. Byakuya had long since mastered his Bankai and at this point in time Rukia did not yet stand a chance against him. Renji on the other hand was the perfect opponent for her, both of them had learned a lot from fighting one another all these weeks.

Of course it did not long stay a secret that two of Soul Society's Shinigami had recently achieved Bankai. The medical staff that had treated both Rukia and Renji had of course been aware of just how they had received their injuries and rumours had started spreading not long after their very treatment. Then of course there was the fact that it was not every day that two Bankai wielding Shinigami fought each other for hours on end.

Rukia remembered clearly that it had been only two days after she had been discharged from the infirmary that the Commander-General had entered the Kuchiki Estate and had watched both her and Renji spar each other for a while. Whether he had been satisfied with their display or not she did not know as he hadn't commented on it. Nonetheless he had asked that the both of them accept a promotion to Captain should they both get a majority vote which the Commander-General was sure they would, considering Soul Society's current situation.

Third, Fifth and Ninth Division were all still in chaos and there really wasn't much that could be done about it without a Captain to lead the divisions. Third and Ninth were holding up best with their respective Lieutenants working harder then ever. Fifth Division however, was a complete mess, with their Lieutenant recently having been captured it's members had been demoralized even further. Even now, with her return she was kept under close supervision, having been suspected of treason and being in league with Aizen himself. Most of Fifth Division no longer looked at her as her their Lieutenant and instead most of them took orders from the Division's third seat.

Renji and Rukia had to admit that this proposition, if you could even call it that because really it wasn't so much a request as an order and obligation at this point, did not come unexpected. Both knew that it would take a lot of their time to get any of the three Divisions without a Captain up and running smoothly again. Nonetheless, they had accepted, knowing that this was important, something that had to be dealt with and that could in the end, be a deciding factor to help them win the war.

And that was how it had happened that now, exactly two weeks after they had gotten through their respective trials, alive, they were standing side by side atop Soukyoku Hill. The age-old location that was used not only for executing traitorous Captains and other dangerous criminals but also to promote powerful Shinigami to the rank of Captain.

Rukia hadn't actually witnessed such an event herself, ever. She did know however that it was always a grand spectacle and many a Shinigami would go out of their way to come and be able to watch the ceremony.

Standing in front of Rukia and Renji were the remaining ten Captains of the Gotei 13. The Commander-General standing in the middle with Ukitake and Kyouraku standing at his respective left and right.

All around them, they were surrounded by Shinigami from every division. But none more then the third, fifth and ninth division. The Shinigami from those divisions were looking at both Rukia and Renji hopefully and Rukia knew what it was they hoped for. With only two newly promoted Captains it would still leave one Division without a Captain. Rukia, sadly already knew which one this would be, as she had already chosen which division she was going to lead.

"Kuchiki Rukia," The voice of the Captain-Commander spoke up, bring both herself and Renji to attention. "Abarai Renji," He continued. "You two stand before us today ready to carve your names down in Soul Society's history as one of the few Shinigami powerful enough to be granted the title of Captain."

Rukia knew that each and every word was really only a formality but it was a necessary one nonetheless. The speech given by the Captain-Commander before a promotion always tended to inspire the attending Shinigami in training and working hard so that perhaps, one day, they too would be able to carve their names in Soul Society history. It really was the only reason so many people came to watch the event, as the promotion itself was nothing too spectacular to watch.

"A vast majority of Captains had voted in favour of your promotions and while this is positive there is one message that I feel I must convey to the two of you." Yamamoto spoke to them once more, making both her and Renji too, she was sure, wonder what this message could possibly be. "While you both are certainly powerful and have without a doubt reached the level of a Captain's strength, we would, under normal circumstances, have waited a few more years with this promotion to allow you both time to get used to your newfound powers." The Commander-General explained.

Rukia had to admit that she understood this perfectly. It had taken her several long days before she was even able to wield her Bankai proficiently in actual combat and she knew she wouldn't actually master it for years to come. Nonetheless she vowed she would do everything within her power to bring her Division back to full strength as well as use every minute of spare time she had to become more proficient with her Bankai.

"Sadly we do not currently have that luxury." The Commander-General continued. Nodding his head towards Ukitake and Byakuya they stepped forward. As Rukia and Renji's respective superiors they would be the ones to actually promote their subordinates and give them their blessings to rise up among Soul Society's strongest.

Looking up Rukia locked eyes with Ukitake, and his last few minutes as her Captain. Words didn't need to be spoken, he understood why she had chosen not to become his Lieutenant and she was sure that he was immensely proud of her now. After all, the duo of her and Renji were well on their way to helping Soul Society regain their former strength.

Kneeling down, Rukia signified that she was ready to start the ceremony. On her right, she could see Renji mimic her action. Looking at her Captain, she gave a slight nod, indicating that he could start whenever he wanted. Ukitake, for his part, turned his head around and locked eyes with Byakuya for a moment, until both men nodded towards one another, letting everyone know that they were about to start.

"Do you, Kuchiki Rukia, hereby swear to uphold the rules and laws of Soul Society to the best of your ability?" Ukitake asked her and on his left Rukia could hear Byakuya repeating the same phrase at Renji.

"I do." Both Rukia and Renji answered simultaneously.

Both Captains removed a folded white Captains Haori from within their Shihakusyou's.

"Do you, Kuchiki Rukia, promise to serve, lead and protect your Division to the best of your ability?"

"I do." The both of them repeated once more.

At the positive replies the two Captains unfolded the Haori's and held them out for all to see, causing loud cheers of joy to rise out from the crowd of Fifth and Third Division Shinigami.

"And do you, Kuchiki Rukia, swear to live and to die for Soul Society, and to maintain the balance of our different worlds to the best of your ability?"

This time, Rukia turned her head to the right and looked at Renji. Who coincidentally had turned to look at her as well. Locking eyes the two of them nodded towards one another, a small smile tugging at the far end of their lips, before returning their gazes back to their respective Captains.

"We do!" They replied in unison after which they held up their arms to allow the Captains to drop the Haori's over their heads.

Ukitake smiled at her gently, the last few seconds of looking at her as a subordinate before she would be his equal in rank. Walking up towards her, he dropped the Haori over her arms and straightened it on her shoulders.

Looking to her right she saw Renji had just gone through the same process. Both Byakuya and Ukitake stepped back from their former subordinates.

"Then stand, Kuchiki Rukia, and be recognized as a Captain of the Gotei 13!"

As both her and Renji stood up it was as if thunder had struck the sky. Every Shinigami that had come to attend the ceremony started cheering for the two newly appointed Captains.

Rukia, who was now wearing a brand new Haori signifying she was the newly appointed Captain of Fifth Division, and Renji who now wore a Haori with the Third Division's Symbol.

And thus it came as a surprise to Rukia, when all of a sudden the crowd grew quiet again. Wanting to find the source of it, she came to lay her eyes upon her brother, who was standing right in front of her, holding another package in his hands. Rukia could only look at him, confusion clearly in her eyes.

"It is tradition, within the Kuchiki family that when a family member reaches the rank of Captain, to buy him or her a gift. The gift I have here for you, is one I have had made by Soul Society's master weaver Tsujishirō Kuroemon." Rukia could hear the crowd behind and in front of her gasp at hearing the man's name.

Taking the package from her brother, she slowly opened it. As she removed the paper it was wrapped in it revealed a scarf as black as the night, and lying on top of the scarf was a silvery white Kenseikan, a hairpiece that signified one as nobility and part of the Kuchiki family. Rukia didn't know what to say, it was the greatest honour she could have ever hoped for. For her personally, it had even more worth then becoming a Captain. She now truly belonged within the Kuchiki family, she was no longer just the adopted sister of the clan head. But before she got a chance to express her gratitude, her brother spoke again.

"Only once before has an adoptive member of our family been granted a Kenseikan to wear. This man's name is not important but suffice to say, he disgraced our family's name. I expect more of you, Rukia. Not only have I given you that Kenseikan, signifying you as nobility and a member of the Kuchiki family. I have also given you that scarf, I expect you to wear both items with dignity and do not make me regret my decision." Byakuya finished.

Rukia truly didn't know what to say. She could feel tears threatened to leak out of the corners of her eyes but she pushed them back. Her current position did not warrant an overly display of emotion. She was now a Captain of the Gotei 13 and a full fledged member of the Kuchiki family, and she was finally one step closer to keeping the vow she had made.

=0=

Ichigo was seated in the Espada's meeting room in Las Noches. As usual Nel was seated at his immediate right and like with any other meeting all of the Espada except for Luppi had already gathered and were currently waiting for Aizen to make his appearance.

They last two weeks had been quite intense for Ichigo. Ever since his last spar with Nel, he had taken to fighting her more and more often and he was glad he had chosen to do so. He knew that while he was the most powerful among the Espada he was not the most experienced, nor was he likely to become the most experienced any time soon. Most of them had walked Hueco Mundo for decades if not centuries, fighting Hollow after Hollow continuously.

Nel was one of those that had done so for centuries and her battle experience had proven invaluable. It was true that Nel had not once managed to defeat him nor had she ever really gotten very close at that. But nonetheless she had managed to learn him several things. One of which he had agreed was about time he started working on it. During the last week they had taken off to leave Las Noches daily in order to find out more about Ichigo's resureccion.

Up until two weeks ago, Ichigo had been aware of only two abilities that were unique to his resureccion. Those two were; Kuroi Getsuga and instant regeneration, the latter of which he could not control in any way, he did find out however that it would literally heal almost any kind of injury except for burns, acid wounds and it likely wouldn't heal a severed head either.

Other then his own personal training with Nel he had of course continued his almost daily Kidou lessons with Aizen. By this time Ichimaru or Tousen could no longer instruct him in the subject as both of them had run out of knowledge that Ichigo hadn't already learned. Aizen had taught him a handful of other useful Kidou spells that Ichigo had learned within a couple of hours.

It was what he was learning now however that was truly interesting. Aizen had started to teach Ichigo in the last two Kidou spells he intended to teach him. They were two of the highest ranked spells in existence, both being ninety-level spells. One of them was a Bakudou spell while the other's origin was Hadou.

Ichigo had started working on the Hadou first and was booking rather slow but steady progress on them. After almost two weeks of daily practice he was steadily growing more proficient with but he knew that while his progress was good, especially considering the level of spell he was learning, he wasn't any where close to mastering it yet.

His thoughts were cut off however as Aizen entered the meeting room, as he sat down, Tousen and Ichimaru flanking him as usual, Ichigo noticed that Luppi had yet to arrive.

"My dear Espada," Aizen began as usual, signifying that the meeting had now officially started.

Ichigo realized that something was off as several other members of the Espada noticed that while Luppi hadn't made his appearance yet, Aizen did not comment on this. Ichigo merely decided to wait and see what would happen next.

"We currently have a situation in Las Noches," Aizen explained, causing some of the gathered Espada to raise their eyebrows.

"As some of you may have noticed, our dear friend Luppi is not in attendance today," Aizen continued. "That is because the messenger that was sent to get Luppi didn't return."

Several eyes narrowed at this and some of the Espada started muttering towards one another. Every one of the Espada knew that Aizen wanted even the Espada to look upon the other Arrancar as comrades, brothers in arms and while few looked at them as such none had been foolish enough to openly display any sort of hostility to any of the Arrancar Aizen had created.

"And so I regret informing you that just now, I have received word that Luppi intends to rebel against my rule and has gathered many other Arrancar around him that feel the same way." Aizen explained. "Naturally, I can not allow this."

Aizen gave a quick nod at Tousen who walked back to the door allowing access to the Espada's meeting room, opened it, spoke a few quick words to someone and returned, though not alone.

Behind Tousen walked a dark skinned female Arrancar with green eyes, blonde eyelashes and messy short blonde hair which had tree braided locks. The Arrancar jacket she wore was rather…unique. The entire part from the stomach upwards had been removed so far that it revealed a good portion of her breasts. The jacket's sleeves completely covered her arms and like Ichigo, her vest sported a collar that hid her entire face below the eyes from view.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome your new sister among our ranks. Her name is Tia Harribel and she will bear the number of Fifth Espada, naturally, this means Grimmjow and Ulquiorra will drop a rank."

Ulquiorra appeared uninterested to the news while Grimmjow on the other hand could be heard cursing under his breath. He was not foolish enough to voice his thoughts on the subject however, something that surprised even Ichigo.

"Now Ichigo, Ulquiorra, Harribel, dispose of Luppi and any Arrancar that has chosen to side with him." Aizen ordered the three of them.

More blood to be spilled, were Ichigo's first thoughts as he rose from his seat. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Nel looking at him with a sad expression as the three of them left the room.

=0=

Rukia was seated behind her desk in the Captains Quarters of the Fifth Division. Her brand Kenseikan keeping the locks that usually hung at the sides of her face, firmly in place atop her head. Her scarf, which was of the darkest black she had ever seen, was firmly wrapped around her neck, the two ends of it hanging over her brand new Captains Haori.

Already, three days had passed since she and Renji had been promoted to Captain. Renji now being the Third Division's Captain and Rukia having become the Fifth Division Captain.

The past three days had been rather hard on Rukia. Fifth Division had been a complete mess, truth be told, it still was rather messy but the results were clearly already showing. When she had arrived at the Fifth Division Grounds no more but an hour after her promotion she had been speechless. The place had been a mess, garbage was lying everywhere, people were brawling with one another for as far as her eyes could reach, and it didn't appear as if anyone was even trying to get the others to calm down.

One thing that did catch Rukia's eye however was the fact that several dozen of the Fifth Division's Shinigami were standing off to the side, shaking their heads at their comrades.

It did not take long for the out of control Shinigami to notice Rukia standing beneath the gateway leading to their Division's grounds and the moment they did, they all quieted down. Something which was likely caused by the kanji for five that had been sewed into her Haori.

Had it been a day before, Rukia would not have known how to react. But she had had a good talk with her brother a day before her promotion. Her brother had explained to her, the best ways to organize and manage a complete Division, and that as a Kuchiki it would be best if she followed the example he had set for her.

And so it was that Rukia decided that, when standing in front of the entire Division, she would take her brother's example. She would be cold and indifferent but nonetheless she promised herself that she would do everything within her power to make sure that at the very least the majority of her Division got out of this war alive. It was another vow she made, and she could only hope that she could see it through until the end.

The Fifth Division Shinigami had soon learned that there was not to be messed with their Captain. A few of them had had the guts to make a remark about her height but it took only a slight release of some reiatsu to quiet them down and to ensure that such remarks would be avoided in the future.

Rukia had quickly learned that the Shinigami who stood off at the side had been the Shinigami attending the promotion ceremony, those that wanted the Fifth Division restored to their former glory. And so the first thing Rukia had done was to order the brawlers to clean up the entire Division grounds as well demote any seated members among the brawlers back to unseated Shinigami. She would find more capable and dedicated Shinigami to replace them.

It had been a mere day after she had been promoted that two important issues had arisen. First of all, the recently retrieved Hinamori Momo. Rukia had of course been told in detail of her kidnapping as well as her retrieval and she had to admit that she did not trust the girl one bit. It saddened her to realise, that once upon a time they had been in the same class at the Shinigami Academy but she could not and would not have any favourites. She would treat her Division fairly.

Deciding that, as Hinamori was conscious during the kidnapping and had not resisted even one bit, as well as that the entire retrieval mission had been suspicious to say the least, almost as if Aizen wanted her returned to Soul Society. Rukia had been forced to lock the girl up and keep her under tight supervision.

The second issue that had arisen was the fact that she was now, without a Lieutenant and that this would substantially increase her work load. She had come across a Third Seat named Fugunaga Aiko that appeared to be a very promising Shinigami. She was immensely skilled with Kidou, above average with Hoho, but sadly both her Hakuda and Zanjutsu were below what would normally be required of a Third Seat. Before Rukia could think any further on this however, she had been interrupted by none other then Hisagi Shuhei who had come with orders from the Captain-Commander. The Captain-Commander had come with the idea to temporarily split up the Ninth Division and divide it among the remaining Divisions of the Gotei 13, making all former Ninth Division Shinigami, temporary members of another Division.

Hisagi, along with three dozen others, had been assigned to the Fifth Division, which came as a big surprise to Rukia. Luckily for her, this solved her Lieutenant problem at least for the time being. Despite the fact that Hisagi was not actually a full member of the Fifth Division she knew she could assign him the rank at least until either a more suitable candidate from her own Division could be found or until he would be forced to leave and rejoin his old Division.

She was interrupted from her thoughts when she saw a Hell Butterfly flying through the window and heading towards her before landing on her finger. Before she had a chance to think about what kind of message she would be receiving a voice rang through her ears.

"_All Captains and Lieutenants report to the First Division's Captain's quarters immediately for an emergency meeting!"_

Rukia closed her eyes for a moment in apprehension as the message repeated itself once more. She feared she knew all too well what this meeting was going to be about.

=0=

As Ichigo, flanked by Ulquiorra and Harribel, entered the most outer courtyard of Las Noches, located right in front of the main gates, he had to force himself to keep a stoic expression on his face.

Right in front of his very eyes, pandemonium appeared to have broken loose. Dozens and dozens of Arrancar were fighting in front of his very eyes. Ichigo was sure he knew the cause of this. It appeared that Luppi had managed to rally a lot of supporters to his cause, but nonetheless this was madness. Ichigo just couldn't understand what had happened to the former Espada. While it was true that Luppi was a powerful Arrancar in his own right, he had nowhere near the strength required to take out any of the Espada ranked with the number five or below. This was a fact, and while Luppi was arrogant, rash and hot headed Ichigo was sure that the Arrancar was not stupid.

So why had he gone against Aizen's will? Why had he caused a civil war to break loose in Las Noches? Even if every single Numéros in Las Noches joined him, they would not stand a chance against the remaining nine Espada, their Fraccion and the three former Shinigami Captains.

Ichigo was certain that there was something more going on here. But he just couldn't figure out what it was, and he didn't think he ever would if he didn't get the right information.

Taking a closer look at the sight in front of him Ichigo could clearly see that there were two opposing parties of Arrancar. One of them seemed to have rallied behind Luppi and was substantially larger then the other one. While the other one seemed to have rallied behind…Dordonii. That surprised Ichigo, Dordonii Alessandro Del Sosachio, a former Espada and currently he was ranked #103, part of the Privaron Espada and one of the Arrancar that was loyal to Aizen to their very core.

Ichigo guessed that he wanted to prove his strength and loyalty by defeating Luppi, in the hopes of regaining a spot among the Espada. It was futile however, Ichigo knew, after all the Espada had already gotten a replacement for Luppi.

Taking a look at his left he could clearly see the figure of his new comrade in arms, Tia Harribel standing there. And already she had been granted the number five, meaning that she had probably been created out of a Vasto Lorde class Hollow as well. No, Dordonii would not get to rejoin the Espada, even _if _he managed to defeat Luppi, something Ichigo doubted he was capable of.

It was then that Ichigo noticed the courtyard had mysteriously quieted down. No more sounds of swords clashing or Arrancar crashing into walls or objects could be heard. As he rose his head once more he could clearly see each and every one of the Arrancar present looking at the trio of Espada that had just arrived.

He could see hope in the eyes of those that had rallied behind Dordonii, while Dordonii himself looked a bit annoyed by their arrival, something that didn't really surprise Ichigo. The Arrancar that had rallied behind Luppi however, had no hope displaying in their eyes at all. All Ichigo could see in their eyes and faces was terror, fear and anger. Some of them quickly sheathed their Zanpakutou and tried to escape with Sonido, only to be cut down by Ulquiorra and Harribel.

"You fucking morons!" An enraged voice shouted out from among the Arrancar, "Why have you stopped fighting!? Destroy them! Kill them all! Aizen has betrayed me and he won't hesitate a second to betray all of you as well!" The voice continued, and it didn't take long for Ichigo to identify the voice. It was only seconds later when he was proven right and the figure of Luppi emerged from the front of the crowd, his eyes widening considerably when they fell on the figures of Ichigo, Harribel and Ulquiorra.

Ichigo merely looked at Luppi impassively as the two of them locked eyes. He was surprised though, to find that Luppi seemed to have expected this and didn't yell nor shout.

"Former Espada Luppi and all those who have rallied behind you," Ichigo spoke slowly and calmly, not a hint of emotion could be heard in his voice, "Aizen-sama has ordered this situation to be dealt with."

Ichigo paused for a second to let the meaning of his words sink in. Most of these Arrancar weren't very intelligent and were truly not very different from the Hollow they had been before they had been subjected to the Shinigamification.

"We are here, to carry out his sentence. Your sentence.." He spoke once more, leaving the last few words of the sentence hanging in the air, causing more and more of the Arrancar to be overwhelmed by fear. Some of them could be seen trembling on their feet, others could be seen gripping their Zanpakutou tightly as if holding it between them and the three Espada would shield them from their retribution.

"…is death." Ichigo finished and before any of the Arrancar could respond the three Espada vanished in a quick buzz of Sonido.

=0=

As Ichigo approached the small army of Arrancar he instantly decapitated the first one within reach, shocking all Arrancar that were surrounding him as blood sprayed from the Arrancar's neck. Instantly all remaining Arrancar drew their swords and prepared to release it but before they got as far as that another handful of them were cut down by Ichigo.

On the far left and right Ichigo could clearly see Harribel and Ulquiorra going through the same process.

Refocusing his attention on the large amount of Arrancar in front of him Ichigo continued to cut his way through them. Already most of them had released their Zanpakutou, causing their reiatsu to increase substantially compared to their unreleased forms. Nonetheless, they were mere insects compared to Ichigo. Their released forms resembled beasts and hollow-like creatures. Proving Ichigo's point that they weren't all that different from the ordinary Hollow.

Ichigo decided that he didn't want to waste his time on them and would simply cut down the root of the rebellion.

Ascending up towards the air he looked down and attempted to lock eyes with Luppi. Luppi however was steadily make his way towards Harribel. Something that didn't surprise Ichigo, it was just like Luppi to attempt to take down his replacement in an act of vengeance.

Sighing, Ichigo sheathed his Zanpakutou before he raised his arm towards the Arrancar below him. He put his other hand at the wrist of his raised hand in order to make sure it would stay steady. If he couldn't get Luppi to notice him the easy way, then he would do it the hard way.

It was quite ironic, Ichigo thought. He had originally wanted to obliterate all of the Arrancar below with his _Gran Rey Cero _but the fact of the matter remained that he wasn't allowed to. And so he decided he could use another technique, that was similar and was actually almost as powerful as _Gran Rey Cero._

Truth be told, Ichigo didn't much like this technique. It was powerful yes, far more powerful then an ordinary _Cero_, and while not as powerful as _Gran Rey Cero, _it was the only technique that Ichigo knew of that actually got close.

Static electricity was already being emitted from Ichigo´s palm and a bright blue ball of electricity was starting to take shape. Many of the Arrancar below had just now started to notice Ichigo up in the air, charging a seemingly devastating technique and chaos soon ensued as the Arrancar attempted to make their way to safety.

They were too late.

"_Hadou #88 – Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raihou!"_

An enormous beam of blue light was instantly fired at the Arrancar fleeing below. As the attack impacted with the ground, a brilliant flash of light blinded everyone, including Ichigo, obstructing everything below Ichigo from view.

When the light passed, Ichigo could see nothing but a giant crater still smoking from the impact of the attack. There were several dozens of smoking bodies lying inside the crater, most of them had long since lost consciousness due to the severity of their wounds. Their bodies covered with burns from head to toe, skin burned away to reveal charred bone, their bodies smoking and smelling like charred flesh.

Ichigo's face remained stoic but on the inside he felt nothing but grief. The truth was that these Arrancar did not have to die. But it was a fact that Aizen had ordered them to dispose of Luppi and any who had rallied behind them, this was simply the quickest and most effective way to do so.

Opening his eyes he saw a slightly burned and panting Luppi standing in front of him. His face showing nothing but pure anger.

"Kurosaki!" Luppi shouted at Ichigo, enraged.

Ichigo shook his head in disappointment at the former Espada. "What did you intend to achieve with this stunt, Luppi?"

Luppi's eyes visibly narrowed at Ichigo's words and he could see that the Arrancar had trouble keeping his temper in check. "Aizen betrayed me! I overheard him speaking of taking me out because I-" But that was as far as he got as his words were cut off when the blade of a Zanpakutou was suddenly protruding from his chest. Ichigo could only stare at Luppi's face impassively as the lights in his eyes slowly died out.

Ichigo didn't need to look up to know who it was that killed the former Espada. He was surprised however to hear over a dozen buzzes all around him. Looking up, he could clearly see the rest of the Espada standing behind him, their Fraccion standing close by them. Ggio too was quick to join Ichigo. Flanking the Espada were the four Privaron Espada and Rudobon of the Exequias.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Aizen, who had long since discarded himself of Luppi's body and now had both Tousen and Ichimaru standing on his respective sides.

"There's no need to get upset, Ichigo, Luppi has served his purpose." Aizen spoke calmly, confusing Ichigo even more, even if this didn't show.

Aizen didn't speak any further. It was Nel, who spoke to him, as she appeared on his left and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"It's time, Ichi," She spoke, and while Ichigo wasn't certain what she meant, a certain sense of dread took a hold of him. "You should be able to sense it now."

Opening up his _Pesquisa_, Ichigo's eyes widened for just a split second before regaining his impassive facial expression. He could feel dozens of reiatsu signatures closing in fast. Some of them were vaguely familiar, but there was one that he knew all too well, despite how much it had changed. _'Rukia…'_

Ichigo understood now. Somehow Aizen had managed to lure Soul Society to Hueco Mundo, perhaps making Soul Society believe that they could launch a surprise attack. Ichigo knew that it had something to do with how and why Aizen set up Luppi, but he couldn't figure it out exactly. Nonetheless it didn't matter anymore, it was time.

Looking up, his eyes came to rest upon twelve Shinigami Captains and their respective Lieutenants. In the distance he could see dozens upon dozens other Shinigami approaching.

As he scanned the Captains standing opposite of him however his eyes widened considerably. Next to the Sixth Division Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, stood someone whom he considered one of the most important persons in the world. Next to Kuchiki Byakuya, stood Kuchiki Rukia, wearing a Haori with the kanji for five sewed into the fabric.

=0=

_Author's Notes._

_I'm not completely satisfied about this chapter at all. None of it really worked out the way I had intended and no matter how much I brainstormed on it I just couldn't figure out the right way to get it all done properly. _

_This being one of the reasons that it's released later then intended, the other being that I simply did not have enough time to write over the last week._

_Despite the fact that I can honestly say that I'm not satisfied with this chapter at all, mhm now that I think of it I think this is actually the first chapter that I'm not quite happy with, well anyway back to the point, one thing I can promise is that the next chapter is going to be a lot of fun to write and I'm pretty sure most of you will enjoy it as well. I believe it will hold some minor/major surprised and I can't wait to find out what you're all going to think about it._

_But for the time being, let me know what you thought of this chapter. I'm curious to know, as always. _

_Lastly I am sorry to tell you this but I believe the next chapter is going to take some major time on my account to write. To start off with it's probably going to be incredibly long, if I had to hazard a guess then it could just be as long, or even longer, as the chapter in which Isshin and co invaded Hueco Mundo. I know I promised myself not to write chapters of such lengths again but I want to stick with one chapter for the entire upcoming battle._

_I hope all of you understand that considering the amount of characters that are likely to do battle in the upcoming chapter it is going to take a lot of research time to make sure most of them will not end up too out of character._

_Once again I say, read and review. As always every review is appreciated and they inspire me to keep writing and updating as quick as I possibly can. If you have any criticism to give me, feel free to, but do try to keep it constructive and don't let it turn into senseless flaming because that is something that I do not appreciate. Nonetheless even a 'nice chapter' or 'good work' is appreciated. Until next time we meet!_

_~Bruuz._


	18. Blood Soaked Desert

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach!

* * *

**A/N: **A short Author's Note to begin this chapter with. Recently I have been busy with a variety of things. Exams, work but also a collaborate work of fiction that will soon be released on this very website as well.

Over the weeks myself and Yonda, the author of Returning the Favor, have been working on a Harry Potter fanfic. One that we believe is unique among most stories regarding Harry Potter on this website. Should you be interested, I ask that you give it a read, as the prologue of the first part will soon be released on his account.

With that said, let us continue to the story verse of Bleach.

* * *

**DarkJason: **It may or may not be the Final Battle. Who knows? I do! But you do not yet! *Evil Laugh*.

About Urahara, Yoruichi, Isshin and the Vaizards. Some of them at least, may make an appearance at one point or another during the battle in Hueco Mundo. But that's all I will reveal about that for now.

I'm glad you like the fact that I've made Rukia and Renji Captains. Personally I never understood why Renji did not become a Captain in Canon yet. Well to be honest I realize that his personality perhaps isn't the most ideal one but still. Why would Ikkaku go to such lengths to hide his Bankai if it isn't even guaranteed that he will _have _to or be forced into a Captain's position if it were discovered, Renji being the living proof of this.

**Gagboy: **I may or may not give Ichigo a second form much like Ulquiorra's. For now, I certainly don't see the point. Secondly I believe Ichigo is powerful enough as it is, and I prefer not to increase my character's strength by transformation after transformation but rather by hard work and fierce determination.

**Yonda: **You are right indeed. I have had some small time jumps in my previous chapter. Something that, sadly was a necessity. I like time jumps as much as the next person but I agree on the fact that there were a bit too many in my last chapter.

But rejoice in the fact that as far as I know, there will (at least in the upcoming chapters) be only one more time jump.

**HiddenMaster: **Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you liked the chapter. As for Luppi dying a painful death. Well, I promised, didn't I?

Perhaps light will be shed on the true reason for Luppi's rebellion, but truth be told, it isn't some grand elaborate scheme on Aizen's part. Merely abusing the right words being heard by the wrong person. Luppi was simply a living proof of how something pretty small can escalate into something pretty big.

**Takai153: **Yes she is here indeed! But there's a reason she is only the fifth Espada. As you may have noticed I have kept the rankings of Starrk, Barragan and Harribel the same. Meaning as in Starrk being the strongest and Harribel being the weakest of the three.

With Ichigo being the Primera that means all of them move down a spot.

Nel, in my story, was a Vasto Lorde before the Shinigamification (I am of course assuming she was only an adjuchas in Canon, judging by her released form), meaning that this time around, when she became an Arrancar, she ended up weaker then Starrk, but stronger then Barragan.

On a side note, I want to release some information concerning Nel's released form. Because I believe she was an Adjuchas in Canon and she is a Vasto Lorde in in my story, I will completely change her released form apart from the name and release command of her Zanpakutou.

**Snogwomp: **A Kenseikan is the hairpiece that Byakuya wears to keep his hair together. It is generally considered as a certain sign of nobility or wealth.

**Oxybusy: **Yes, some Shinigami will die.

**Grinja: **Yes, Nel and Ichigo have gradually been getting closer, as I promised. Sadly, the real romance will take a while yet to begin. I am awaiting a certain event until I decide to allow them to take that step.

**Cheese Maker111: **You're right about the overusing of phrases. The only excuse for this I can give is that I generally do not look over my chapters for mistakes as thoroughly as I should. I'm usually pretty anxious to post it and get started on the next one as quickly as possible! ;p

Nonetheless, I've tried to pay more attention to it in this chapter so I hope you will notice a difference.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Blood Soaked Desert.**

Rukia was standing up in the air, amidst her fellow Captains of the Gotei 13. Several dozens of yards opposite of them she could easily make out the figures of Aizen and his Espada. It wasn't just the Espada however, she was certain that there were somewhere between thirty and forty extremely powerful fighters standing opposite of them.

It had been only a few hours ago that their latest meeting had ended. The meeting had indeed concerned the subject she feared it would. The members of the Secret Mobile Corps that had been sent to spy in Hueco Mundo and if possible around and inside Las Noches had returned with haste. They had reported that for the past day dozens upon dozens of Arrancar had started fighting one another and had concluded that a civil war had broken out inside Las Noches.

They had even gone as far as to state that they believed at least one and possibly two Espada were participating in it. Considering the fact that the members that had been sent out on that particular mission were pretty skilled in sensing reiatsu levels most of the Captains had been convinced that they were most likely right about that.

But now, standing in front of them were all ten of the Espada, not a single member was missing. Rukia could only conclude that either their information must have been wrong, or they had been set up by Aizen. Considering the fact that their enemies seemed to have been waiting for them she thought the latter was more likely to be the case.

Turning to gaze upon Ichigo's expressionless face once more she was reminded of how his eyes had widened considerably when his eyes had found her. She reckoned that he was surprised she had managed to become a Captain in such a short period of time, truth be told, she couldn't completely wrap her finger around that fact herself just yet.

She wasn't looking forward to the battle that was coming up. Regardless of who would win, it was a very likely possibility that a lot of her friends and comrades would die. She feared for their lives, but above all she feared for Ichigo's life. She knew he was without a doubt one of the most powerful contestants on this playing field. Nonetheless, she was afraid for him.

Considering their current predicament however she realised that she had to get her mind off of that subject for the time being. Soul Society had brought all it's Captains and Lieutenants to Las Noches in order to make sure the surprise attack would lead to devastating casualties in the first few minutes. Even most seated officers had been ordered to come.

But while Soul Society had certainly brought more manpower, Rukia doubted that the quality of their soldiers were anywhere near as good as Aizen's Arrancar were.

Rukia could clearly hear the worried voices speaking below her. The lower ranked Shinigami that had come along seemed to have grown worried about the fact that their surprise attack had already failed. They had been excited about launching a surprise attack on Las Noches, Aizen's fortress. Like any experienced Shinigami, they too, were aware of the fact that a surprise attack often ended up in nothing more then a slaughter. That however, was not how it was going to be, it appeared they were going to be forced into a fair fight.

"Welcome to Las Noches, Shinigami." Spoke a calm voice which she was sure belonged to Aizen.

Rukia could hear Komamura growl in anger, but other then that Aizen got no reaction. At least, not until a few seconds later. It was then that their Captain-Commander held his staff horizontally in the air, dispelling the wood that was encasing his Zanpakutou.

Rukia was forced to stifle a gasp as the spiritual pressure in the air around her increased tenfold and she felt her body bending down ever so slightly. She could hear surprised and panicked shouts from the Shinigami standing down below who were certainly not used to such levels of spiritual pressure and were almost instantly forced to their knees.

Sweat had appeared on her forehead and was slowly but surely trickling down her face as she rose her gaze to look upon Ichigo and his comrades. She was glad to find that some of the Espada were experiencing the same thing that she was while others, such as Ichigo, appeared to be completely unaffected, making her realize once more just how true Ichigo's words had been back then.

"_Bansho Issai Kaijin to Nase."_ Yamamoto's loud voice rang out.

Mere moments after those words were spoken his spiritual pressure increased greatly once more and the Shinigami on the ground below were instantly forced onto the ground. Rukia could clearly see most of the Arrancar in front of them bending over, sweating and breathing unevenly. Even worse then that, Rukia herself noticed that she and some of the other Captains were forced to bend over even further and she had to try her hardest to not be forced to her knees as well.

"_Ryuujin Jakka."_

Once more she attempted to turn her eyes towards the gathered Espada to see how they reacted to this second increase in spiritual pressure but she was forced to shut her eyes tight by the blazing inferno of flames that was surrounding the Captain-Commander. His blade was set on fire completely and the flames were lashing out violently in seemingly random directions, they didn't however get anywhere near any of the gathered Shinigami.

Carefully opening her eyes again she saw the Captain-Commander violently slashing his blade downwards, causing a huge stream of fire to speed towards Aizen and his Espada. The size of it was immense and she was curious if all of them would manage to dodge it in time. Letting her eyes wander to Ichigo's face she was sure he was calmly speaking some words to his comrades before the fire engulfed them completely.

* * *

Ichigo reappeared about a twenty yards to the left of the blazing inferno and put Ggio down so as to allow him to regain his footing. Ichigo had been forced to make a grab for Ggio before moving on to save himself in order to assure his Fraccion's survival.

"M-my apologies, Ichigo-sama! I wasn't fast en,-"

"Don't worry about it, Ggio," Ichigo interrupted his Fraccion, "There is no need to be ashamed, that attack was far out of your league, as you can clearly see by looking around you."

Ggio allowed himself to think his master's words over carefully for a moment before taking a look around himself. He could clearly see the first six Espada standing around them, he even saw Nel putting down Dondochakka and Pesche before she harshly told them to return to Las Noches, something that was very out of character for the soft and caring personality that Ggio had, over the weeks, found out that Nel possessed.

Besides Nel and Ichigo it seemed that only Starrk and the new Espada that Ggio believed was called Harribel had been caring enough to save their Fraccion from the blazing inferno of fire that had been sent at them from Soul Society's Commander. Grimmjow, who had arrived later then the others and increased the amount of Espada present to seven, was seen sporting some minor burns. His Fraccion however had stood the closest to Aizen out of all the Fraccion present and thus had had a larger distance to cover in order to get to safety. Their screams of agony had long since passed and no trace of their existence remained in the desert. Their fate was shared with Charlotte Cuuhlhourne, one of Barragan's Fraccion, as Ggio had been formerly as well as Gantenbaine Mosquada, who was considered the weakest of the Privaron Espada.

"_Jokaku Enjo."_

Ichigo heard the Captain-Commander say out loud. And looking back to his left Ichigo noticed that it was actually a fortress of fire trapping his commanders, Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen inside of it. To make the situation even worse, it appeared that three of the Espada who were standing closest to Aizen had failed to escape the inferno as well. Zommari, Aaroniero and Yammy were standing in front of Aizen and his two most trusted lieutenants, as well as Cirucci, one of the four former Espada.

Now this pissed Ichigo off. He didn't think that they couldn't win without Aizen but it would have certainly been a lot easier. Even without Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen, Ichigo believed they would have still managed to pull out a victory. The situation changed in it's entirety however the moment that three more Espada failed to escape the prison of fire created by Soul Society's leader.

"Kurosak-" Szayel's voice called out to Ichigo, interrupting his thoughts. Ichigo however quickly spoke, already knowing what the former Espada was going to ask him.

"Whatever Szayel, you can leave us to do battle here so that you can continue with your precious research. Get out of my face." Ichigo replied, irritated.

Truth be told, Ichigo wasn't exactly happy with letting Szayel go to watch and study the Shinigami do battle. While Szayel may no longer be an actual Espada he was still much stronger then the other Privaron Espada and a fair bit more powerful then some of the current Espada. Nonetheless the data he could gather would certainly be important. Yet, that data would not increase their chances right this very moment.

And so, with a nod, Szayel vanished in a buzz of Sonido. Leaving the remaining Arrancar to do battle while he observed them and their opponents, recording each and every battle that would be taking place.

* * *

Rukia was glad. Yet, at the same time she was sad. Their chances of victory had just increased greatly, sadly this also meant Ichigo's chances of surviving had just decreased. She had known that the Captain-Commander would have had some sort of back-up plan in case the actual surprise attack didn't work. That being the case his back-up plan had worked out rather splendidly.

Yamamoto had managed to obliterate seven Arrancar, who had, judging by their reiatsu levels been at least as powerful as a Shinigami Lieutenant, some of them even being significantly stronger. To make things even better he had managed to trap three of the weaker Espada and to top things off, Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen had chosen not to move an inch. It was obvious the trio were severely underestimating Soul Society.

Most of the Shinigami and Captains around her seemed more confident of their chances at victory than they had been before. As if on cue, their leader turned around to address the Captains and other Shinigami under his commander, perhaps in an attempt to raise their morale even further.

"Get ready. Put the entirety of your spirit on the line and crush them here! Even if your flesh is torn asunder, be as a steel wall down to your last shard of bone! We must crush them here!"

* * *

A snap of a finger distracted Ichigo from his thoughts and as he looked to his right he saw Barragan stepping forward. His remaining Fraccion rolling out a large blanket, bones rose out of it and soon formed Barragan's infamous throne, the one in which he had ruled Hueco Mundo for all those centuries. As Barragan sat down he started speaking.

"There are numerous enemies in front of us. It is needless to say that they outnumber us. So, with our boss unable to do battle," he said, letting his eyes wander over the blazing inferno in which Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen were trapped. "I shall be the one giving out the orders."

Instantly most of the remaining Espada narrowed their eyes at Las Noches' former God-King. Some of the Fraccion openly voiced their opinions, causing quite the ruckus.

Barragan's eyes soon after locked with Ichigo's, but Ichigo didn't back down. He would not tolerate someone weaker then him trying to bully him into obeying.

"I won't tole-"

"No…_Cuarta._" Ichigo interrupted the aged Espada, putting emphasis on the word Cuarta. Barragan was a proud old man. He was certainly powerful but he could not live with the fact that Aizen had made him the Fourth Espada. He could not stand the fact that there were three Arrancar more powerful then him. It was risky to remind Barragan of his rank, either out of two things could happen. Either Barragan could get angry, or in this situation, with Aizen trapped, even hostile, or he could grumble a bit and obey. While there were doubts about the fact if Nel or even Starrk were stronger then Barragan there was not a shadow of a doubt among any of Las Noches' Arrancar that Ichigo was the most powerful among the Espada.

Surprisingly, Barragan chose to rise from his seat in an attempt to threaten Ichigo into obeying.

Ichigo wouldn't take any of that and without warning he increased his reiatsu to a level that none of the other Espada could ever hope to match. Barragan was instantly forced back into his seat and was slumping further and further into it as if someone was trying to push him through his chair. His breathing became uneven and ragged and sweat was streaming down his body. His face took on an almost panicked expression when he seemed to realise that he had chosen the wrong person to pick a fight with.

Believing enough was enough, Ichigo reduced his reiatsu back to it's previous level. Allowing Barragan to regain his breath. Looking around for a second Ichigo noticed that most of the Espada had undergone similar effects, even though not as extreme since Ichigo had made sure his reiatsu would target Barragan particularly.

Once again, he looked at the old Espada and locked eyes with him. "Luisenbarn," Ichigo called him to attention. "You may have once been the God-King of Hueco Mundo but that is in the past. In the present and the future you _will _obey me. Do I make myself clear?"

If looks could kill, Ichigo would've dropped dead on the spot. Never before had someone looked at him with an expression of such intense and pure hatred. Nonetheless, Barragan looked away not long after and Ichigo realised that was the closest thing to an answer he was going to get.

Now that that was settled Ichigo had to make one of the hardest decisions in his life. He knew that this battle depended on one thing in particular, or rather three persons. With Aizen unable to do battle for as he long as he was locked away in that inferno it made things substantially more difficult.

The deciding factor was simple. They had to take out the top three Captains of Soul Society, before sustaining too many losses. Ichigo knew the Espada were powerful, each and every member was a force to be reckoned with in it's own way. But Ichigo also knew for certain now, after what had happened to Luppi, that Aizen viewed them all as discardable. But those that weren't created out of Vasto Lorde Class Hollow in particular were no more then pawns, objects to be used to ensure victory. And so with a heavy heart, Ichigo knew that he too had to go along with that philosophy if he wanted to ensure victory.

"Nelliel, Starrk," Ichigo called the two of them to attention. "Your opponents are the Eight and Thirteenth Division Captains respectively."

Nel looked as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she merely nodded. Starrk, on his account, had nodded his understanding as well. Both had signified that they would do as was asked of them. They would do what was necessary to make sure that it would be Aizen who stood victorious in the end. They would do their part. Now, it was up to Ichigo to do his part.

Looking over his shoulder, he looked at the faces of each of the gathered Espada for no more but a second. Except for Nel, when his eyes reached her he looked into her eyes and wanted to say something, anything really. In the end, he just looked her straight in the eyes, he knew words weren't necessary. They'd bonded so closely over the past couple of months that they understood each other, always. He knew she understood that above all he wanted her to come out of this alive, and he could see she was trying to tell him the same, she was probably one of the precious few who was smart enough to have figured out just what he was going to do, and that coming out alive would not be an easy task. Nonetheless, he swore he would come out alive, if not for himself, then he would do it for Nel.

Everyone knew what to do. Despite the fact that he had not given orders to everyone. They were all smart enough to realize that with their current numbers, some of the stronger Espada would be expected to fight more then one Captain at a time.

And so it was that Ichigo turned his head back to the Captains standing in the air in front of him. Locking eyes with the Shinigami that was his opponent he saw no fear in them, no mercy and no emotion other then anger.

So with speed only he possessed among the Espada, he instantly charged at the Captain that would be his opponent. He could clearly see the majority of the Captains lose sight of him until he reappeared right in front of his opponent, the only Captain who had seen all along where Ichigo had gone. And likely the only Captain who would ever be able to block Ichigo's strike as effortlessly as he did.

The other Captains instantly attempted to interfere, seeing as their Commander was under attack. But they were soon interrupted as several loud buzzes signified the arrival of the remaining Espada. Several loud clanging sounds rang throughout the dark night's sky of Hueco Mundo, proving to Ichigo that everyone had chosen their targets indeed.

Locking eyes with his opponent he saw nothing, no emotion but a slight hint of anger that still remained. Anger that likely was because it had been Ichigo that so brutally defeated two of his subordinates. Anger because of Aizen that was the reason for this entire war to begin with. Ichigo just so happened to be the second most dangerous opponent.

"You are my opponent," Ichigo spoke calmly, "Yamamoto-Genryuusai!"

* * *

Nel quickly unsheathed her blade in order to block the vertical strike that was meant to slice at Ichigo's side, resulting in a blade-lock with the lazy looking Captain.

"Nelliel tu Oderschvank." She spoke calmly. The Eighth Division Captain merely smiled at her in return before he replied.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman," He answered her, causing her to smile at him in return. "_Hachibantai-taicho _Kyouraku Shunsui. Nice to meet you." He continued lazily.

Nel smirked at him in reply before retracting her blade and starting a vicious assault of horizontal and vertical slices at the Shinigami that introduced himself as Kyouraku Shunsui.

"Unfortunately," Nel spoke in between strikes, "the conditions of our meeting," she continued, "are everything but ideal!" She finished as she made a particularly violent stabbing motion with her Zanpakutou towards Kyouraku's chest.

Kyouraku managed to dodge the thrust by jumping backwards a couple of yards where he remained standing. "I guess you're right about that." He spoke to her, with what seemed like a small hint of sadness in his voice.

"Tell me," he continued. "Do you never go easy on your opponent? Not even in the beginning of a battle?" He whiningly asked her.

Nel had to stifle a giggle at the Eighth Division Captain's antics. He was quite the charming guy that was for sure. "I'm not particularly fond of fighting, _Hachibantai-taicho_ Kyouraku Shunsui." Nel answered him. "But I'm afraid I do not have the luxury of holding back this time, I'm well aware of your strength."

"I see." Kyouraku replied. "That's too bad, I'm not too fond of fighting myself. We would've made a great couple don't you think?" He winked at her as he suggestively asked the last question.

This time however, Nel did not appreciate his humour any more. "I would appreciate you taking me seriously, Kyouraku Shunsui, starting by unsheathing that wakizashi of yours." Nel replied, slightly irritated as she pointed at the still sheathed wakizashi.

"Tch. You only use a wakizashi if you can't handle a katana, everybody knows th-"

"Then why is it that you've been switching hands all this time while parrying my strikes? You're obviously ambidextrous as both your arms seem to be almost equal in strength. So tell me, why would someone who's ambidextrous carry around two swords?" Nel interrupted him.

Kyouraku could only grin at her in reply, making Nel feel as if she'd just caught a little kid with his hand in the cookie jar. "You got me there." He spoke. "And here I thought I was doing a good job at…" But that was as far as he spoke as he disappeared and reappeared with Shunpo, instantly going for a violent horizontal slash towards her mid-section, "…hiding it!"

Nel was just in time to notice that while he swung at her side with his katana he was already drawing his wakizashi with his other hand. Reacting quickly, Nel pulled her scabbard a few feet out of her sash and held it in place with her unoccupied hand, effectively blocking the Captain's katana. At the same time she swung her Zanpakutou at the Captain's right shoulder, going for a diagonal slice which was quickly blocked by his other hand, now holding the previously sheathed wakizashi.

Nel smirked at the experienced Captain who grinned at her in return before launching his own flurry of rapid strikes at her in return. Nel was immediately forced to draw the scabbard from her sash entirely in order to parry all of his attacks. One thing she instantly noticed however was the fact that the attacks with his left hand appeared to be slower but definitely a bit more powerful while the attacks with his right hand were a whole lot faster but also lacked some strength compared to his left hand.

Kyouraku finished his series by simultaneously crossing his arms over one another and pulling them both sideways in an obvious attempt to decapitate her. Nel simply ducked and kicked the Shinigami Captain in the stomach, forcing him backwards.

"You're still not taking this seriously." Nel said to Kyouraku who merely smiled at her in return.

"Perhaps. But then, neither are you." He stated seriously for a change, surprising Nel.

Before she got a chance to answer his question, she was distracted by an incredible burst of reiatsu several dozens of yards behind her. Looking at the location in question her eyes widened as she saw Ichigo barely escape a huge torrent of fire. The entire landscape beneath him was burning and she could clearly see he was having trouble fighting the Captain-Commander.

"Worried about your friend?" Kyouraku asked her sympathetically, which surprised her and brought her attention back to her own opponent.

"Perhaps." Nel stated flatly as she looked down at the ground.

"He's a tough one, isn't he?" The Eighth Division Captain asked her, probably not even expecting an answer. "But Yama-jii's our commander, he shouldn't be taken lightly you know, your friend could die." Kyouraku told her sympathetically.

Nel instantly charged and with speed she herself didn't know she possessed appeared in front of Kyouraku's face with the telltale sound of Sonido. Drawing back her sword she slashed down at him with incredible force, leaving Kyouraku no choice but to block with both of his swords. The power behind the attack wasn't what surprised him the most however, it was Nel's narrowed eyes and the expression of intense anger on her face that surprised him.

"You're wrong!" Her high-pitched voice almost shouted out at him. "Ichigo won't die! He won't and he can't!"

Those were the last words she spoke before she started attacking the Eighth Division Captain once more, using both her scabbard and her sword as a weapon and leaving him no chance to turn the roles around.

Kyouraku meanwhile had to admit that he had underestimated the Espada. Admittedly he did not know her rank but judging by what she had showed him so far he had guessed she would probably be ranked somewhere around fifth. It appeared that she had been holding back a great deal of power however, and he had obviously struck a nerve by stating that that boy, Kurosaki Ichigo, could die. He was actually kind of surprised, he didn't think Arrancar could possibly bond in any way similar to that of humans or plus's but it appeared that he had been wrong, Kurosaki Ichigo was someone very important to Nelliel, of that Kyouraku was certain.

Seeing Nel prepare for an extremely powerful strike aimed at his right he took his wakizashi in a reverse grip and prepared to block it. He was surprised however to find that she instead made a thrusting motion with her scabbard and while he managed to push it off course with his left hand it still ended up hitting him straight in the stomach, causing him to flinch.

Realising she had created an opening he quickly pulled himself together only to find that her Zanpakutou was coming straight at his face. Not having enough time to raise either of his swords to push the approaching Zanpakutou off course he leaned his head slightly to the left. In the end, it saved his life and he got off with nothing more but a scratch on the side of his cheek.

Nel meanwhile was glad she had managed to draw first blood. When Ichigo had ordered her to fight against the Eighth Division Captain she knew what he had meant. She knew that the two Captains she and Starrk were supposed to fight were the oldest two Captains in Soul Society apart from the Captain-Commander and she knew she would be in for one hell of a fight. She was uncertain if she would be able to win, something which she still was, but she now knew that at the very least they matched fairly even, for the time being.

The Eighth Division Captain had instantly Shunpo'd several yards backwards after receiving the shallow cut on his cheek and was now looking at her as if he was impressed.

"Sheesh, I didn't want to make you angry, I was just stating a fact." Kyouraku spoke out to her, a bit embarrassed. The embarrassment soon disappeared however and was replaced by an expression of the utmost seriousness. "But seeing as you got serious, I guess you leave me no choice but to do the same thing." He stated flatly before taking off his pink flowery coat and throwing away his straw hat.

* * *

Madarame Ikkaku was instantly confronted by an Arrancar with a devil-like mask fragment, consisting of a plate on his forehead with two small horn-like protrusions stick up at the sides. The two horns on his mask fragment were mirrored in his hairstyle.

While his appearance was certainly odd Ikkaku knew that this guy was powerful and would be a more then worthy opponent for him. He was glad, and smiled excitedly at the yet to be named Arrancar.

"So you're my opponent, huh?" He exclaimed excitedly.

"That's right, niño!" The Arrancar replied.

"Very well! Then allow me to tell you the name of the man that will defeat you!" Ikkaku shouted back at the man. "Eleventh Division's Third Seat, Madarame Ikkaku!"

Much to Ikkaku's annoyance, the man started laughing loudly after his introduction. "Defeat me? You?" He asked mockingly.

Ikkaku was getting irritated by the fact that he was seemingly being looked down upon but before he could comment on it the man continued once more.

"I remember you saying that it was considered a courtesy in Soul Society to extend your name to your opponent so that he may know the name of the one who defeated him in battle before he left this world." The Arrancar stated, surprising Ikkaku since while he had given his name to the devil-like Arrancar he had not stated anything of the kind. Before he could think on it any further however the Arrancar spoke up again. "Arrancar #103, Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio. Now let us do battle, niño!"

Before giving so much as a warning the Arrancar disappeared with a buzz of Sonido and reappeared in front of Ikkaku who was instantly sent flying downwards by a kick from the Arrancar who had just introduced himself as Dordonii.

As Ikkaku crashed into the ground below he instantly regained his bearings only to find that all around him people were doing battle. Unseated Shinigami from many a Division were being slaughtered by dozens of Arrancar that had seemingly released their Zanpakutou as most of them looked very animalistic.

Looking back up to the sky he saw Dordonii dashing towards him at full speed, with his Zanpakutou at the ready. Drawing his own Zanpakutou and remembering his last battle with an Arrancar he decided that he would give it his all from the very start this time. Quickly connecting his scabbard with the hilt of his Zanpakutou he looked back up to Dordonii with a maniacal grin sported on his face.

"_Nobiro, Houzukimaru!"_

* * *

Rukia quickly drew her Zanpakutou, alarmed by the sudden appearance of an Espada in their midst. She had been consumed in her thoughts for a brief moment but intended to rectify that mistake as she rose her blade above her head to slash down at the Espada. Before her blade got even halfway however, she faltered and realized the man she was just about to swing down at was Ichigo.

Her thought process was interrupted again by several static sounds and the arrival of a blue haired Espada with his Zanpakutou poised to strike at her. Readjusting the course of her blade she managed to block his Zanpakutou, causing their blades to clash violent. The same sound was repeated several times all around her making her realise that to her relief, the other Espada, her enemies, had successfully intercepted the assault of the remaining Captains. With the knowledge in mind that Ichigo was as safe as he could be, considering the fact that he was facing the most powerful Captain in Soul Society, she returned her attention to her assailant.

As she locked eyes with the blue haired Espada the first thing she noticed was his expression. He was grinning like a maniac and from that she easily surmised that he loved to do battle. This Espada, was in many ways very similar to their own Zaraki Kenpachi, she was certain of this fact.

"I am your opponent, Shinigami!" The blue haired Espada shouted at her.

She had figured as much but nonetheless she appreciated the confirmation of this fact. She quickly scanned his body, looking for a number tattooed somewhere on his body. She was denied a very thorough scan however as the Espada didn't seem to appreciate her attention lingering away from him and launched a punch aimed at her head.

She was only just in time to see the attack coming and ducked under the Arrancar's arm, grabbed her Zanpakutou with both hands and stabbed at his chest in retaliation for the surprise attack.

The Espada quickly knocked her blade off course with his own Zanpakutou and turned around for a backwards kick aimed at her chest. Rukia easily saw the attack coming but her attention wavered when mid-turn, the Espada's jacket blew upwards ever so slightly, allowing her to see an intricate number seven tattooed on the right side of his back, close to his hollow hole.

Seeing the man's foot come at her she got her head back into the battle and used _Shunpo _to get herself to safety several yards backwards.

"Seven." Rukia spoke, not giving the Espada a chance to continue his attack just yet.

"What was that?" The blue-haired Espada shouted at her in return.

"You're the Seventh most powerful Arrancar in Aizen's army." She stated flatly, no emotion could be seen in her face or heard from her voice. Her brother had taught her well in that regard, she would honour the Kuchiki name by being a role model for the next generation of Shinigami.

"That's right, _Septima _Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques." The Espada stated, grinning at her maniacally.

"I see," Rukia stated simply. She was confident in her abilities and she knew that she had a good chance of defeating this man. She felt no need to relay her name to him, there was even the chance that Grimmjow already knew hers considering the fact that she had been kept prisoner in Las Noches for quite a while.

"_Hoero, Zabimaru!"_

"_Kare, Kazeshini!"_

Surprised at the sudden release commands she looked behind her only to see both Zabimaru and Kazeshini fly past her from both of her sides and make their way towards Grimmjow. A static sound alarmed her to the fact that Grimmjow had disappeared and she could clearly see him reappear behind Hisagi with his Zanpakutou raised high above his head, ready to strike.

Hisagi, apparently having heard the buzz that signified Grimmjow's arrival behind him raised the second of his blades in the air behind him, hoping to block Grimmjow's inevitable attack.

He wasn't disappointed as a loud clang signified that Grimmjow had indeed hit Kazeshini. Hisagi however, didn't appear ready for the amount of power that was put behind the attack as he was sent flying downwards, his Zanpakutou trailing after him dangerously fast.

"Tch, three on one huh? Whatever! All the more fun for me, give it all you've got, Shinigami!" Grimmjow shouted out before he burst out in maniacal laughter once more.

He was quickly forced to resume the battle however when Zabimaru once more came flying at him from behind. Grimmjow merely batted Renji's Zanpakutou aside and charged at the newly appointed Captain.

Rukia, deciding that while his back was turned to her, this was her chance. She quickly sheathed her Zanpakutou and charged at him, noticing from the corner of her eyes that Hisagi had gotten up and was thinking along the same lines as she was.

"_Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a Spinning Wheel. With light, divide this into six." _Rukia silently chanted.

She could clearly hear Hisagi had started chanting something as well mere seconds after she had started her initial chant. Looking back up she saw Grimmjow was rapidly nearing Renji's position, the latter of which was still retracting his Zanpakutou and appeared to be defenceless.

"_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens." _Rukia finished her second chant a split second after Hisagi had finished his first.

She could clearly hear the sound of metal cutting through the air behind, signifying that Hisagi had thrown Kazeshini at Grimmjow for the second time, the latter of which seemed to have heard this as well as he turned his head around mid-charge.

"_Hadou #11 – Tsuzuri Raiden!" _Hisagi's voice yelled. The effect was instantaneous as lightning emitted from his hands which were holding his Zanpakutou. The lightning quickly spread and was soon running over the entire length of Kazeshini, causing Grimmjow's eyes to narrow as he turned around apparently having changed his mind about the biggest threat at this point in time.

"_Bakudou #61 – Rikujyoukourou,_

_Hadou #73 – Soren Soukatsui!" _

Rukia finished both her spells at once. It took no more but a jabbing motion of her finger for Grimmjow to be trapped in her Kidou spell causing his eyes to widen in panic as Kazeshini was still making his way towards him.

That wasn't the end of it however as Rukia swung her other arm in a wide arc causing two large balls of condensed blue reiatsu to erupt from the palm of her hand. Both heading in opposite directions yet it was clear that they arced straight towards Grimmjow location.

Grimmjow was doing everything he could to release himself from his prison. Cursing himself yet again underestimating his opponents. He was the king damn it! These weaklings should have been no match for him and yet here they were forcing him into a potentially life threatening situation.

The last thing Grimmjow thought as Kazeshini wrapped itself around his body was that he would make those Shinigami pay if he got out of this predicament in time. Time however, was not on his hands as he could feel the electricity coursing through his body and the small woman's Kidou attack impacted with both his sides.

* * *

Ggio instantly realised that, as the Espada were battling the Shinigami Captains, it was up to their Fraccion, the Privaron Espada and the Exequias to occupy the next most powerful opponents Soul Society had to offer, namely their Vice-Captains.

Ggio was confident in his strength, he had always been until his former master Barragan had so callously thrown him aside as if he were nothing but thrash. It was then that he had vowed to become as strong as he could possibly become, he had thrown himself into training with a vengeance. Fully intending to prove his former master wrong. He had not, however, expected the Primera Espada to take him, Ggio Vega, as his one and only Fraccion.

Ichigo had taught Ggio many things. He had helped him become stronger then he had ever been before but above all he had also taught him about emotions. About caring about people and about his own personal history. Ggio felt that he owed Ichigo a life debt, he would forever give his everything to repay that, starting here, by proving that he was worthy of being the only Fraccion of the Primera Espada.

Those were the thoughts that occupied him as he charged at two Shinigami with a Lieutenants badge bound to their shoulder. He would prove to all of Las Noches that he too was someone to be taken seriously, that his power was not to be trifled with. He would prove it to his former master Barragan, make the man regret throwing him away so callously. But above all he would prove to Ichigo just how much he had improved, he would make him proud.

Arriving at his destination he instantly pulled back his left foot and aimed a sideward kick at the strawberry blonde Shinigami's midsection. To his surprise, said Shinigami hadn't even noticed him yet which resulted in his kick connecting, sending her spiralling to the ground below.

"Rangiku-san!" the remaining blonde-haired Shinigami, called out worriedly.

Hearing the sound of a Zanpakutou being drawn from the very same direction Ggio's form blurred before he vanished with the static sound of Sonido. Reappearing in front of the blonde Shinigami he caught the man's hand that was holding his Zanpakutou before quickly launching a punch in his gut, causing the Shinigami to bend over in agony. Improvising on the spot, he kneed the man in the face before again making a sideward kick to his stomach, sending him flying towards his fellow Lieutenant.

Ggio was shocked. Was this the level the average Vice-Captain of Soul Society was at? He had chosen his two targets on purpose, they were standing extremely close to one another so Ggio had figured the other would jump in to fight him two on one. He had hoped to push himself to his limits in order to best his opponents but all it took was four attacks to send the _both _of them flying?

A long time ago he would've gloated over the two Shinigami's misfortune of having to face him. But that was long time ago, Ichigo had taught him otherwise. Ichigo had taught him to never let his arrogance cloud his judgement, to stay alert while facing any adversary no matter how weak or powerful they might be. Ggio knew that at the very least these two Shinigami had not yet released their Zanpakutou, meaning the battle could yet prove to be challenging.

Feeling their reaiatsu signatures reappear no more then twenty yards in front of him he broke himself from his thoughts and met both their respective gazes.

The blonde man, standing on the left was the first to speak.

"_Sanbantai-fukutaicho_ Kira Izuru."

"_Juubantai-fukutaicho_ Matsumoto Rangiku." The blonde one standing on the right followed shortly after him. It appeared that they were indeed Vice-Captains. It was interesting though, the Shinigami that introduced himself as Kira Izuru seemed to be the Vice-Captain of the Division that was formerly being led by Ichimaru Gin, which could very well mean that this war was personal for him. He would have to be careful with that one, another lesson that Ichigo had taught him.

The other Shinigami, the woman that had introduced herself as Matsumoto Rangiku was apparently the Vice-Captain of the Tenth Division. Meaning that her Captain, the white-haired kid that Ggio had laid his eyes on only a couple of minutes ago, was the one that had been beaten soundly by Ichigo.

"Ggio Vega." Ggio simply stated, feeling no need to state either his Arrancar number nor his rank or social standing in Las Noches.

Ggio noted how both Shinigami had shared a quick look and nod at another. No more but a split second later he could see the Shinigami that had introduced himself as Kira Izuru silently started to chant something. Before Ggio got a chance to think about this however, the woman named Matsumoto unsheathed her Zanpakutou and swung it at him.

"_Unare, Haineko!"_

'_Shit!' _Ggio thought as her blade dissolved into what appeared to be ash-like particles which quickly sped into his direction.

"_Hadou #58 – Tenran!"_

Ggio's eyes widened as Kira clasped his hands together and appeared right between Ggio and the ash cloud that was quickly spedding towards him. A tornado-like blast was fired from Kira's fists and came at Ggio at an incredible speed, scattering the ash cloud and at the same time increasing the area it was affecting.

Ggio had to admit that he had no idea what that ash-like substance was capable of but he knew for certain that he was now in immediate danger and had to get himself to safety. With that thought in mind he quickly Sonido'd as quickly and as far away as he could.

He let out a sigh of relief as he appeared some fifty yards to the right of his previous location. His left arm was throbbing painfully and was covered with several large and deep cuts. Blood was seeping out of the fresh wounds and was dripping down his fingers.

He had made a crucial mistake. He should have dodged the moment he saw the ash-cloud come at him, he assumed he still had some time to spare and chose to wait for Kira to make his move. A mistake that had almost proven fatal for him. Had Ichigo not helped him hone his already incredible speed to even further levels he would not have escaped that attack and it would likely have ended the battle instantly.

An explosive burst of reiatsu distracted him for a moment, causing him to look behind him. He closed his eyes for a second after taking in the sight that greeted him. He had known from the moment that Soul Society's Captain Commander trapped Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen along with some of the lower ranked Espada in his prison of fire that Ichigo would choose to confront the veteran Shinigami. Ggio had complete faith in his master's powers, he knew that he outclassed any of the other Espada by a large margin and would even go as far as to believe that Aizen would have to get serious in order to beat Ichigo.

Nonetheless he had feared from the very beginning of this battle that his master had finally met his match. That Ichigo had finally met an opponent that he may not be capable of beating. As he looked hopelessly at Ichigo trying to attempt the waves upon waves of flames that were chasing after him he suddenly felt the two Shinigami reappearing in front of him.

"It is not considered wise to take your eyes off of your opponents, Arrancar." Kira Izuru stated flatly.

Ggio had to admit he was surprised that they hadn't abused his opening. His worry for his master had overtaken his common sense for a second and it could've cost him dearly. He was still unsure just how powerful the two Shinigami in front of him actually were.

The entrance he made on them could as well have been a farce. Something they set up in order to make him believe he was more powerful then them. Their last attack had certainly nicked him good. His left arm was all but useless.

That, combined with the fact that he truly wanted to help Ichigo, despite that he knew he would hardly make a difference.

"_Ah._ You're right." Ggio replied, turning his head back to his opponents.

Their faces turned to surprise upon seeing him. He realized it must've been because of his overly show of emotion. He didn't like the predicament Ichigo currently was in, and he knew it showed in his facial expression. He quickly corrected this before he continued.

"I would like to finish this as quickly as possible, regardless of which of us will end up the victor. Let us not hold back any longer, Kira Izuru, Matsumoto Rangiku!"

He started gathering all of his reiatsu in his Zanpakutou as it's central point, preparing for what was about to come. He could hear the rustling of reiatsu moving through the air, making it's way to his weapon and it seemed both Shinigami were aware of this as well as they readied their stances.

"_Omoto o agero, Wabisuke!"_

Ggio saw Kira lay his hand on his Zanpakutou as he shouted out that particular chant. His Zanpakutou changed shape dramatically, forming two 90 degree angles, basically forming three ends of a square, reminiscent of a hook. Even more interesting was, judging by the way in which Kira held his weapon, the cutting edge appeared to be on the side of the hook, rather then the 'normal' side of his Zanpakutou.

Ggio realised that both Shinigami were ready, both of them had their Shikai's out and so it was time for him to give it everything he had as well. He would prove to Ichigo that he had made the right choice in choosing Ggio as his Fraccion.

* * *

_"You are my opponent," Ichigo spoke calmly, "Yamamoto-Genryuusai!"_

Their blades had clashed and both Ichigo and the elder Shinigami were trying to overpower the other. Both ignoring the series of blades clashing around them. Ichigo could see Yamamoto's eyes, which apparently were partially closed slits most of the time, opening ever so slightly until the man made direct contact with Ichigo.

"Your opponent?" Yamamoto asked, almost mockingly. "You are a thousand years too young to challenge me, youngster!"

Ichigo's face remained as emotionless as ever. Arrogance and pride, two personality traits that appeared very important to Soul Society's Captain Commander. He reminded Ichigo slightly of Barragan Luisenbarn.

"But very well, if it's a beating you desire, then that is what you shall get!" Yamamoto shouted out before violently pushing Ichigo backwards and instantly lashing out at him with his already released Zanpakutou causing an enormous wave of fire to rush after Ichigo who's eyes widened in surprise.

He was only just able to escape in time with the use of Sonido, reappearing right before the Captain-Commander with Atrevico held in one hand high above his head, poised to strike down at the aged Captain. As he struck down, Yamamoto blocked his attack with such speed that even Ichigo had trouble following the motion of the man's arm. A loud shockwave reverberated through the desert causing a violent sandstorm to raze around the two combatants.

Ichigo realised by now that trying to overpower the old man was a futile effort, having learnt from his mistake the first time. Instead he chose a different course of action as he removed his unoccupied hand from his pocket and pointed his palm at the veteran Shinigami.

"You're wide open," Ichigo stated with a smirk, still exerting pressure on the Captain-Commander's Zanpakutou.

Much to Ichigo's surprise, Yamamoto raised his unoccupied hand as well, pointing his palm at Ichigo. Knowing that he had to act fast now, he acted.

"_Hadou #33 – Soukatsui." _Both fighters spoke simultaneously.

Before Ichigo even got a chance to increase the power of his own attack, he was forced to retract his Zanpakutou as a huge torrent of blue reiatsu erupted from the aged Shinigami's hands, instantly absorbing his own attack in it. His eyes widened as he opened his mouth to speak but everything that would've come after that was cut off as he was completely engulfed by the blue wave of reiatsu that should have been a lower level Kidou attack.

* * *

Aizen stood silently inside the prison of fire that had been created by the most powerful fire-type Zanpakutou in existence, Ryuujin Jakka. His most trusted lieutenants Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname standing on his respective left and right sides. Behind him stood Zommari, Arroniero and Yammy.

The fact that neither of the three had taken the risk of escaping Genryuusai's attack was a bit of a letdown. He had purposefully remained where he was because he was certain his Espada would be all he needed to stand victorious against Soul Society. The fact that three of his Espada had failed, or chosen not to, move out of the way of the attack was not something he had counted upon.

Perhaps he had been too focused upon the five strongest Espada and with that neglected to correctly analyze the strength of his weaker Espada. Regardless, he was certain that even now, his Espada would stand victorious.

As he had expected Barragan would attempt to take charge but, much to his surprise, Ichigo had chosen to silence him. Perhaps he felt responsible for the outcome of this battle, that would be just like the orange-haired Espada, Aizen believed.

He had allowed himself to smile for a second when he saw Ichigo charge at the Captain-Commander himself. The way in which the Primera had taken the fight to Soul Society's strongest Shinigami had been an impressive sight.

On top of that it seemed that Ichigo had ordered both Starrk and Nelliel, his Segunda and Tercera Espada, to take care of Ukitake and Kyouraku. A wise move. The truth was, with himself trapped in this prison of fire, he could not reach the forces of Soul Society, but nor could they reach him until the technique expired.

Which meant that the true outcome of this war was going to be decided by the battles the three most powerful Espada were fighting against the three most powerful Captains. Aizen knew for sure that at least some of his other Espada were going to stand victorious as well, meaning that if Ichigo's plan succeeded, there would be no more but a handful of Captains left to stand in his path.

As he observed the battlefield, Aizen found that Starrk had picked Ukitake as his target. Meaning that Nel had chosen to fight Kyouraku. Both battles were sure to be interesting but nonetheless Aizen was confident that his Espada would stand victorious over the two veteran Captains.

Taking a look to his left, Aizen noticed Barragan and Kurotsuchi Mayuri standing in front of one another. Without a doubt preparing to face each other in battle.

To Aizen's right, was Tia Harribel, already engaged in battle with both Hitsugaya and Soifon, the female Espada actually seemed to be holding her own, for the time being at least. He had felt her reiatsu levels and he was certain that he had been right in giving her the rank she now bore, nonetheless, he had not seen her do battle before and she seemed capable enough to fight on even ground against two Captains. One of which had already released his Bankai while the other, Soifon, was still fighting with her Shikai.

Lastly, he scanned the battlefield only to find Ulquiorra several hundreds of yards in front of him. Fighting both Zaraki Kenpachi and Kuchiki Byakuya, a surprising combination. He was almost surprised, seeing those two fight together against one opponent could not possible end well.

Before he got a chance to observe their battle any further he was distracted by an incredible explosion of reiatsu up in the air above him. Looking up, he saw a huge torrent of blue reiatsu erupting from the palm of Genryuusai's hand. Aizen was forced to frown when he realized that his Primera Espada had just been hit by an attack of that magnitude at point blank range. But Aizen was no fool, he knew full well that it would take a whole lot more to take out his strongest weapon, Kurosaki Ichigo. He smiled, interested in how the battle would go on from here on out.

* * *

Pain. Pain was the first thing Ichigo felt as he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, he noticed, as he looked up to the dark night's sky of Hueco Mundo. Looking around him, he found that he was lying just in front of the most outer wall of Las Noches with the Captain-Commander standing about a hundred yards in front him, motionlessly watching Ichigo.

Ichigo grit his teeth in anger. Not anger at the Captain-Commander, but anger at himself. Anger because he felt that he could've done better. Was this truly everything he could against the most powerful Shinigami currently alive, save perhaps Aizen himself.

No, he realised. He could do better, he knew he could. He wasn't out of the battle just yet. He had made a crucial mistake in thinking he could best the Shinigami among Shinigami in an art that was founded by Shinigami. He had been a fool, attempting to best the old man with Kidou, he realised now.

But at the same time his defeat had been a blessing, he was sure of this. It had been a long time ago since he had actually experienced true pain. Ever since becoming a hollow there had been none who had challenged him and came out of the ordeal, standing victorious. Even more so, there had been none who had truly managed to seriously injure him. While Ichigo had by no means become arrogant enough to believe he was all-powerful it was a good thing to be reminded that there were indeed souls out there that could potentially defeat him in battle.

As he stood up, that was the train of thought that led him to his current predicament. A large part of his Arrancar uniform had been burned to shreds, exposing his entire upper body including his face for all to see, with only the sleeve of his left arm having remained intact. His arms and upper body were covered with burns, some so severe that Ichigo was sure he could peel off his very flesh with just a finger. He could feel a burning and stinging sensation coursing throughout his entire upper body with almost every movement he made.

Locking eyes with the old man he came to the conclusion that for now, he'd just have to deal with the pain, he refused to release before he had managed to draw blood from the veteran Shinigami.

"I'm impressed," Ichigo stated flatly, slightly out of breath. "You're the first person that has managed to injure me this severely ever since I became a hollow."

The old man's eyes remained narrowed, and just when Ichigo believed he would not get a reaction from the Shinigami he removed his arms from the sleeves of his Haori and Shihakusyou and pulled them both down, exposing his muscular torso for all to see. Interpreting this as a clear sign that the man was ready to resume battle, he charged.

His legs at least, appeared fine. They were sore but they wouldn't hinder his movements in any way. The pain coursing through his torso and arms on the other hand was excruciating. But he would bear through it, he would relish in the pain as it was a reminder of his greatest mistake yet. He would relish it and learn from it before taking things to the next level. He was determined to draw blood.

So when the Captain-Commander disappeared from sight with a speed that rivalled Ichigo's own he was prepared. Planting his feet solidly in the desert sand of Hueco Mundo he twisted around and parried the vertical strike coming at him with time to spare.

A loud bang resounded as the two Zanpakutou met, silencing the sound of metal hitting metal. Instead putting emphasis on two gigantic forces of reiatsu clashing with one another.

Ichigo knew he could do this! It had been a mistake to battle the Captain-Commander with the use of Kidou. He would take the fight up close and personal from here on out. Immediately after their blades met he redirected the course of his blade, forcing the old man to go along with it or leave himself open to attack. Unsurprisingly the man went with the former, allowing Ichigo to execute a powerful kick to his side. To his surprise however, his kick was intercepted as the old man grabbed his foot with his unoccupied hand. Instantly realizing the tight situation this put Ichigo in, he jumped and aimed a kick at the man's chest with his other foot, forcing him to let go in order to dodge.

Landing back on his feet, Ichigo immediately stepped forward only to spin around completely, using the momentum of his spin to increase the power behind his attack as he went for a horizontal slice across the man's chest. To Ichigo's surprise, the man chose to dodge by stepping backwards instead of parrying his blade, which would've been the easier course of action with less risk involved. Which meant that Yamamoto dodged the attack in order to set up an attack of his own.

Sensing the heat in the area increase as the burns on his body began to throb even more Ichigo decided this was where he should proceed with caution, instead of recklessness. For the second time since their battle started, fire erupted from the old man's Zanpakutou as he slashed it through the air.

Ichigo's eyes widened considerably as he took in the sight around him. All around him, the dry desert sand of Hueco Mundo was actually on fire. A sign that clearly proved just how dangerous of a Zanpakutou Ryuujin Jakka was.

"This is were it ends, Kurosaki Ichigo," the old man spoke, his reiatsu sky-rocketing to even higher levels.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed and his body visibly tensed, preparing himself for the attack that was sure to come.

"You've allowed me plenty of time to set up this attack, I will not spend any more time on the likes of you."

Mere seconds after the old man's words had left his mouth, seven humongous pillars of fire appeared around Ichigo as Yamamoto _Shunpo_'d himself to safer grounds.

The heat that covered the area was maddening. His body was aching and he felt as if his skin was actually melting. The burns inflicted on him earlier made it near impossible to move even a single muscle. His body wouldn't move, it wouldn't listen. His muscles were giving out, the insane amount of pain causing almost his entire body to go numb.

Realization dawned upon him. He couldn't move. An attack of this magnitude was going to hit him. It was inevitable. He could barely move his arm, let alone be able to escape in time. He closed his eyes in silent regret. He had failed Aizen, he had failed Ggio, he had failed Rukia, he had failed…

'_Nel…'_

He had promised. He couldn't die here and leave Nel behind without him by her side. He couldn't bear dying knowing that she would have to live with the loss of her closest friend.

Renewed determination filled his being. A single step forward. He grunted in pain, the heat becoming more intense with every passing second. He rose his in burns covered arm, causing him to cry out in agony.

"_Sayonara_, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Too late. The heat rose to levels unimaginable as the seven pillars grew in size. Closing in on him until they merged into a single pillar of fire towering high above even the entire fortress of Las Noches.

* * *

When Ggio was about to release his Zanpakutou, something distracted him. A huge amount of reiatsu had erupted near his master. Looking in front of him, he saw that it had distracted his two Shinigami opponents as well.

Lowering his sword, a clear sign that he would not choose to attack anytime soon, he looked behind him. Seven huge pillars of fire that had seemingly sprouted out of the very earth had Ichigo surrounded. More importantly, his master was looking beat up, and he was obviously in an intense amount of pain.

Renewed determination filled Ggio's being. He turned around and sped towards his master. Only for his path to be blocked by his two opponents.

"Your fight is with us. You'll have to go through us, to get to him."

Anger filled Ggio's body to it's very core. But it was quickly replaced by a feeling of fear as the seven pillars of fire increased in size at an incredible speed. It took no more then a second for them to become so massive that they had formed a single pillar of fire rising above even Las Noches. Consuming his master in the process.

Ggio felt despair run through his body, which was quickly replaced by anger. Anger at the aged Shinigami who had just disposed of his master as if he were nothing but thrash.

A single tear slit down his face as Ichigo's reiatsu disappeared completely.

* * *

Rukia's eyes widened as she, Renji and Hisagi had turned to look at the spectacle that was the power of Ryuujin Jakka. Both Hisagi and Renji appeared glad that the infamous Kurosaki Ichigo was about to meet his end.

Rukia inwardly wept for Ichigo. She had known this could happen but she never fully comprehended just how real the possibilities were. Somewhere in her mind, she had thought, or perhaps hoped, that Ichigo would be able to conquer every trial along his way. That he would stand victorious in every battle he fought.

When Ichigo was consumed by Ryuujin Jakka's power, she quickly wiped away the single tear that slit down her face as cheers of joy could be hear down below. Signifying that the Shinigami grunts that they had brought were celebrating the death of Kurosaki Ichigo as they threw themselves into battle with renewed vigor.

* * *

Nel had just dodged another series of rapid slices and thrusts from the ambidextrous Captain when he suddenly stopped his assault and lowered his weapons.

She instantly realized why as she rapidly turned her head around only to see Ichigo surrounded by seven huge pillars of fire.

"Seems your friend is in a bit of trouble," the Eighth Division Captain stated flatly.

Nel chose to ignore him as she studied Ichigo's condition. His entire torso and most of his arms were covered with painful looking burns. She could clearly see he was in pain, most likely due to the heat radiated from the pillars of fire. He had trouble moving, she could clearly see him grunt out in pain with every movement he made.

She panicked.

There was no way he would be able to escape an attack of that magnitude. As soon as she realized this she vanished from sight with the static sound of _Sonido_, attempting to come to Ichigo's aid. She did not get very far however as the telltale sound of _Shunpo_ signified the arrival of Kyouraku Shunsui, blocking her path.

"I'm afraid I can't let you interfere in their battle, Nel-chan," Kyouraku spoke somewhat sympathetically.

Panic took a hold of Nel as the seven pillars of fire merged into a single one, consuming Ichigo in the process. Nel could clearly feel a growing feeling of unease in her stomach. Fear took a hold of her, causing her mind to become chaotic as she realised just what had happened to her best friend, to the man she considered her soul mate.

"Get out of my way!" Nel shouted as she launched herself at the Captain. Starting a series of incredibly fast and powerful blows with both her scabbard and her Zanpakutou.

At first the man was quick enough to dodge or parry them, but it didn't take long before several small cuts were appearing all over his body.

"Can't do that, Nel-chan, I'm sorry_,_" The man stated sadly.

No more but a second later Nel could feel Ichigo's reiatsu signature disappearing completely. Causing tears to leak from her eyes, as she became wild with panic.

"I'm coming for you, Ichigo!" she shouted out erratically, seemingly to no one in particular.

* * *

"_Ennetsu Jigoku."_

The Captain-Commander sheathed his sword as the inferno of fire in front of him disappeared entirely. Not even the ashes of the _Primera _Espada had remained.

The old man had to admit to himself. The Espada had been a very powerful opponent and it didn't surprise him that he had been able to best two of his Captains. Truth be told, his victory had been so quick only because the Espada had foolishly attempted to best him with the use of _Kidou._ An art which he couldn't have been practising for more then a few months at most.

While he was indeed strongly talented in the art, it didn't come close to the level that he himself was at, after having been practising _Kidou _for more then a millennia.

With Aizen's prime soldier out of the way, the battle was sure to turn to their favour as Yamamoto was now free to assist other Captains with their individual battles.

* * *

After launching a _Cero _at Kyouraku, Nel finally managed to rush past him, rushing towards the Captain-Commander as if killing the old man would bring her dear friend back to life.

Much to her surprise however, this proved to be unnecessary.

Her eyes widened when the black form of a _Garganta, _opened up behind the elder man ever so slightly. The tip of a Zanpakutou appeared first, followed by a hand, and no more then half a second later, the tip of the Zanpakutou could be seen protruding from the Captain-Commander's stomach, who's eyes had opened up only slightly, indicating his surprise.

Another hand appeared soon after, it's index finger pointing between the injured Captain's shoulder blades. The finger recoiled slightly, clearly indicating that some sort of attack was fired by it. This point was proven as the Captain-Commander was blown several dozens of yards forward by a seemingly invisible force, forcefully removing the Zanpakutou from his stomach.

Keeping eyes locked on the two hands that had already left the _Garganta _she smiled softly, relief flooding through her body as none other then Kurosaki Ichigo stumbled out of it.

* * *

Stumbling out of the _Garganta_ he allowed himself to smile ever so slightly. He would like to think that his plan had succeeded, but it wasn't so much a plan as a last resort, thought up on the spot. A mere second before the _Ennetsu Jigoku _had swallowed him whole he had managed to rise his arm high enough in order to create a _Garganta_ with just enough time to let himself fall into it and closing it behind, stopping most of the flames from coming after him.

He had not managed to escape harm completely as his back, one of the few parts of his body that had remained unharmed after the Captain-Commander's _Kidou _attack had suffered severe burns. Burns that were far worse then those inflicted upon him previously.

He had allowed himself to regain his breath for just a minute before deciding that this would probably be an ideal moment to strike. Ryuujin Jakka wasn't known to be the most powerful Zanpakutou in existence for no reason. It was likely a common sight for the Captain-Commander to find that not even the ashes of his opponents remained. That, combined with the fact that, in between dimensions, Ichigo's reiatsu signature would vanish from Hueco Mundo completely, he realised that he wasn't going to get a better chance.

Truthfully, his attack had not succeeded in the way in which he intended it to. He had intended to end it right then and there by stabbing the old man through his heart. Sadly however he had enough trouble to even raise his Zanpakutou-wielding arm and thus his arm had lowered in the last milliseconds of his thrust, causing his blade to pierce the veteran Shinigami's stomach.

He had been quick to realise that this was where he had to take things up a notch, something which he couldn't do in his current state. Not wanting to await Yamamoto's retaliation he had carefully used a weak _Hadou #1 – Shou_ while the man's back was still turned to him. Allowing some distance to be created between the two of them.

By now, the Captain-Commander seemed to have risen to his feet and had turned back around to face Ichigo. One of his hands clutching his bleeding stomach. He did not appear in the slightest bit worried, probably knowing that Ichigo was the worse for wear, hardly being able to move. His missed thrust was the obvious proof of that.

"Ichigo!"

Raising his head slightly to the left he saw appear next to him with the telltale sound of _Sonido_. Her opponent, the Eighth Division Captain Kyouraku Shunsui, having remained up in the air.

"I'm alright, Nel," Ichigo stated, his emotionless mask still in check. But he knew that she knew. She knew that it was a farce, a mask that was fake. Set in place purely to protect himself, to stop others from abusing overly show of emotion.

She smiled at him, once. It was a sad smile, and he understood it. She had been worried when his reiatsu signature had disappeared and he hadn't been there when Soul Society's leader's attack had disappeared.

He smiled at her in return, it was a small smile and one might even mistake it for a smirk. But it was a smile nonetheless, and he knew that Nel had seen it. She nodded at him once, before her form blurred and she reappeared in front of her opponent.

Removing his eyes from her form he once again turned to look at the Captain-Commander. The man's wound had stopped bleeding and a soft tissue of skin seemed to have reformed on top of it. The man had most likely abused Ichigo's short conversation in order to patch himself up a bit. Something Ichigo shouldn't have allowed.

Nonetheless, he didn't mind. After all, it was time for a fresh start. He had made his fair share of mistakes, and the Captain-Commander had made one of his own by lowering his guard too soon.

"Let us end this, old man," Ichigo spoke, smirking.

Yamamoto Genryuusai showed no outward signs of having heard the young Espada. Ichigo knew he had though, and he knew that the man would not drop his guard again. He had just confirmed to him that he was not an opponent that was to be taken lightly. Something he was about to make sure the man understood perfectly well.

Not having the strength to raise his Zanpakutou with a single arm, he grabbed it's hilt with both hands. Raising it into a battle stance, he widened his already present smirk before he shouted out his next sentence.

"_Shimasu, Atrevico!_"

* * *

Nel wasted no time in idle chatter when she reappeared in front of her opponent. Rushing at him she started with a thrust towards his mid-section, which he dodged and followed up by a vertical attack aimed at her torso.

"My, my, wasting no time are we?" The Eighth Division Captain spoke lazily.

Still facing the Eighth Dívision Captain she could feel a sudden rise in reiatsu behind and knew that it was because of the reiatsu that Ichigo was undoubtedly emitting. She knew Ichigo would beat his opponent. He wouldn't make the same mistakes twice. He had decided that it was time to get serious and to put an end to this battle and so she had decided she would do the same.

Nel launched another series of slices and thrusts at him, combining it with the occasional swing of her scabbard, all of which were dodged, before she chose to reply.

"I see no reason to. Despite your attitude, I know you're well aware of what it means to do battle. You can act all nice and dandy but it doesn't mean, that at the end of the day, you won't hesitate to kill your opponent should he allow you the chance." Nel's high pitched voice answered.

Another swing of her Zanpakutou required the experienced Captain to jump backwards. With speed that he hadn't yet shown before he rushed at Nel and forced her on the defensive. Attacking with both of his Zanpakutou.

She dodged and parried most of them without too much trouble, yet the occasional swing managed to make contact with her skin. Some of which were luckily absorbed by her _Hierro_ others of which managed to penetrate her skin, creating small cuts in the process, but none that were severe enough to be considered a deciding factor in their battle.

When she noticed that her opponent took a split second to take in the sight behind her. The exact spot in which she now knew Ichigo's released form was facing the Captain-Commander she decided to teach the Shinigami in front of her a lesson.

Rushing forward she launched a kick to his midsection, which Kyouraku only just managed to block with his lower arm at the same time making a stabbing motion with his other arm towards her stomach which was now twisted towards him due to the angle of her kick.

Nel smirked, glad that the man had done exactly what she had wanted him to. Adjusting the course of her arm, she turned to ram the man's Zanpakutou off course while at the same time launching a punch at him with her unoccupied hand.

Much to her surprise, the Captain chose to smile at her in return, leaning his head backwards ever so slightly causing her fist to graze his nose. As she landed Nel twisted on the spot, using the momentum of her swing to increase the power of her attacks resulting in a violent blade lock with Kyouraku.

"Mmmm." Kyouraku mused, his blades still locked with Nel's Zanpakutou and scabbard.

Nel merely rose an eyebrow at the man's actions, allowing him to continue, all the while still trying to overpower the Captain.

"Your friend," He stated, "he's stronger then I thought, I'll give you that." He paused for a second. "Which makes me wonder, We've been fighting for a while now and while at first I felt pretty confident that I could guess your number, now I am not so sure anymore."

Nel smirked at him for a second before she started putting less and less power into trying to overpower the Captain. A fact which he quickly abused as his face started to get closer to hers.

Thinking that the man was close enough now, she opened her mouth wide, a brilliant red orb forming inside of it, signifying a hollow's signature move; _Cero._ The lazy looking Captain's eyes widened in what almost looked like panic for a split second as he found Nel was once again putting more strength into overpowering him in their blade-lock all the while charging her _Cero._

Kyouraku's eyes widened at this. Realizing he couldn't simply move away without risking getting hurt by Nel's Zanpakutou, yet he couldn't stand still either.

Nel released her _Cero_ and was instantly blasted backwards due to the close proximity of the powerful Captain. Skidding to a halt she regained her footing and stood up. Laying her eyes on the position the Captain should still be in, she found a large cloud of sand and dust obstructing him from view.

When the sand cleared away Nel lost all figure of speech for a mere second when she saw a large rectangular shield of what she knew to be _Kidou, _hovering in front of Kyouraku Shunsui. The man had been protected by every single bit of damage that she had intended to cause to him with her _Cero. _Not only that, she had received slight burns herself, a risk that she had been willing to take in order to damage the Captain severely enough so that it might make a decisive difference in their battle.

A mistake she would not repeat.

"_Kidou," _She spoke up, "somehow I did not expect you to be the type to use _Kidou_, Kyouraku-san." She finished, slightly out of breath.

"You're quite right at that, I'm not too fond of _Kidou,_" Kyouraku answered, "but that doesn't mean I won't hesitate to use it should the need arise."

Nel's expression of the utmost seriousness turned to a small smile. The battle still hadn't really turned to anyone's favour but she knew that Kyouraku had yet to use his Shikai, let alone his Bankai. She had grown tired of waiting for him to take things to the next level.

Locking eyes with the man, her serious expression returned.

"_Tercera _Espada, Nelliel tu Oderschvank."

Kyouraku shook his head slightly at this new bit of information.

"Tch. Aren't I the unlucky one, out of all you Espada, I have to be the one to face the third strongest?"

"Unlucky?" Nel asked.

"Lucky?"

"Luck has had no part in the fact that you are facing me. As the third strongest Espada, it was only natural that I face only the strongest of the Captains." She stated, stoically.

"Regardless, I have grown tired of our games, Kyouraku-san. Let us get serious."

"Do we rea-"

"Yes, we have to." Nel interrupted the veteran Shinigami. Before holding her Zanpakutou horizontally in front of her.

"_Utae, Gamuza!"_

* * *

He felt alive again. It was a feeling of total and complete euphoria. No longer was his body covered in burns from head to toe. No longer would his body ache with agonizing pain with every single movement he made. No longer was he limited in battle due to the sloppy movements and reactions of his body.

He was alive, and ready to show the man in front of him just what he was worth and just why Aizen had named him above all, the _Primera_ Espada.

Looking himself over his eyes fell upon his hands. His fingers, for the third time now, covered in a white bone-like substance, much resembling the same material that a hollow's mask consisted of. Bolts were sticking out of his right shoulder and he was covered in a ragged cloth. Red markings had once again took place all over his body and his former Arrancar uniform had been ripped to shreds almost entirely. Exposing his emotionless face and the number one tattooed on his throat for all to see.

Running a hand through his hair he remembered that it was now far ragged and dirty-looking, as well as a lot longer. Reaching just past his shoulders now.

Atrevico, his Zanpakutou, had become pitch-black and grown almost a foot longer in length. The same dirty-looking cloth that covered his torso was wrapped around the guard and the hilt of Atrevico, with a slight piece of it hanging out at the end.

Raising his eyes, he laid them upon the Captain-Commander of Soul Society once more, vowing not to underestimate the old man again.

"It seems that you desire a greater punishment, if that is your wish, then the beating shall continue, young one." The Captain-Commander stated, rather angrily.

"We shall see, Genryuusai-san."

The moment in between the next move almost seemed like an eternity. Both Ichigo and Yamamoto staring one another in the eye. Ichigo felt like he had reached a new level of strength. He was aware of everything going on around him, aware of every emotion running through the old man in front of him. He was certain that if the man chose to unleash his very strongest attack on him now, he would be able to counter it now.

He was ready to fight, not for Aizen, not for his fellow Espada, not for any Arrancar of Hollow in Hueco Mundo. He was ready to fight. For Rukia. For himself.

'_For Nel..'_

As if on cue, both opponents sped at one another, Zanpakutou ready in a stance of battle. Reiatsu oozing off of the two powerful forces that were about to clash.

The outcome of the battle, was likely to be decided by the two of them.

* * *

**A/N: **Once more I want to repeat what I said at the begin of this chapter. Recently I have been busy with a variety of things. Exams, work but also a collaborate work of fiction that will soon be released on this very website as well.

Over the weeks myself and Yonda, the author of Returning the Favor (A Vizard Ichigo/Lisa pairing, one of the better fics I have read with such a, rare pairing), have been working on a Harry Potter fanfic. One that we believe is unique among most stories regarding Harry Potter on this website. Should you be interested, I ask that you give it a read, as the prologue of the first part will soon be released on his account.

Anyway, about our new story. Yonda and I have read quite a few Potter fics and we found a pattern that tended to repeat itself: Harry is shunned by his friends or the other way around and suddenly grows very powerful without a realistic explanation and kicks everyone his asses, or he starts training all his friends with jogging and weight-lifting and then they all kill the bad guys because Muggle training helps a wizard grow strong! Together, Yonda and I attempted to break free from these patterns and came up with, what we believe, is a unique story. I won't go into more detail right now, but everyone who is interested should check it out!

Two more things I want to add are the following. First of all, I realise full well that the updates of my story have increasingly become slower. Most of these reasons are rather private so I will not go on this too far, but others are things such as combining a part-time study with a full-time job, add up to that trying to keep in touch with your friends it doesn't leave you a whole lot of spare time. Nonetheless, I'm hoping for my next chapter to be released before the end of July, but sadly it could just as well end up being the end of August.

Secondly, I want to inform you all of the fact that Nel's Canon resureccion is being revamped by yours truly. Since she is a Vasto Lorde in my story I do not intend to have her look like some kind of centaur. Her resureccion will be something more befitting of an Espada of her calibre.


	19. Every War Takes it's Toll

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!**

* * *

**A/N:** My sincere apologies for the incredible and I do mean incredible wait in between the update of this chapter and the last one. This was never my intention, I knew beforehand it would be a long wait but real life has kept me from writing much longer then I had anticipated. I expect the updates will be coming at a relatively steady pace again. I'm not sure about a timeframe. One chapter may take me as little as a week while another may take me as many as six weeks. I still don't have much time to write but since I'll also be decreasing chapter length I should manage. Cause let's face it, 15k chapters is just too much of the good work! Expect my chapter length to be reduced back to somewhere in between five and ninethousand words. Which is basically the amount of words that I started with per chapter. Once again, I'm sorry for the wait, but I'm back.

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**Reviews:**

**Akuma-Heika: **I'm incredibly glad you agree with on the fact of character bashing. I've hated it ever since I realized way too many writers on this site pick up on it the moment they come to realize that they do not personally like a character. e.a. Someone wants Harry and Hermione to be together (So yes my reference here is Harry Potter), this happens and the next thing that happens is that Ginny get's bashed to shreds basically because she's his original pairing and the author did not agree with the pairing that J.K. Rowling gave them.

Ichigo's Mask fragment consists of a pair of bone earrings with a sharp-looking teeth hanging from both rings. The one on the left slightly larger then the one on the right. His sword is basically Ichigo's orignal Bankai sword except it's about a foot longer and both the guard and the hilt are wrapped in cloth. And yeah, you're kinda right about his release. It is in Japanese when it should've been in Spanish a critical mistake on my part but one that's too late to correct now.

Now about the Segunda Etappa. On one hand I would like to add it sometime during the story on the other hand I might just not do it at all. The bleach Manga from the past months has grown increasingly more interesting yet at the same time increasingly more difficult to still see the clear ending of my story that I had in mind. A lot of things are al ready being changed and even more changes will be added in my legendary notebook. Nonetheless you will find out as the story progresses.

Lastly, thanks a lot for the reviews. If you have any more questions, always feel free to ask.

**CollinatorGX:** Thanks a lot. I've tried my very best at the character development in particular as it's always been the most interesting part about both writing and reading for me personally. I do realise Ichigo is way OOC by now and even at the beginning he was already, albeit less then he is now obviously.

**RedandBlackBeads: **I'm extremely glad you enjoy what I've done with Nel and Ichigo. I tried real hard to make it all seem natural and not forced and the more reviews I read about this particular aspect the more I'm starting to believe myself that I'm somehow succeeding in it despite the fact that I really do believe I could still do much better. Character deaths will (sadly) occur. More then you will like, more then I will like. Bleach is an anime serie that, in the end, always has a happy ending. Which is a good thing really. But I'm writing it my way and as much this is pure fiction and fantasy I want to write it as realistically as possible. There's a war going on. People die in wars. Lastly, the collaborate may continue someday in the future. For now it's on hold and I know me and my mate would love to continue with it yet for the time being neither of us has the time for this.

**SeeKayO.o: **I'm sorry to dissapoint but as long as Ichigo is an Arrancar the use of Bankai will not happen. I know many stories have implemented something like this, some of them even fairly good stories (the ones that I have read that is). But personally, I've gone a completely different way from Canon with my story. Yet at the same time I really am trying to stay somewhat close to it. At the very least in the way things work. Character relationships, known abilities, bankai, shikai, resurreccion etc. More Ichi/Nell will sadly, have to wait a while. But seeing the subject of the current chapters I'm sure you can understand. =P

**maxtasy: **You are right about the Japanese. I started with that because I hated the way techniques (for example Getsuga Tenshou), sound in English. And it sort of caught me and I started applying it way too much. But from here on out I can guarantee you that the only things that will be in Japanese are abilities. Meaning Shikai or Bankai abilities both, Kidou techniques. Also honorifics will be used in Japanese, obviously and possibly the Espada ranks which just sound way more badass in Japanese =P.

**glon morski:** I could write a giant wall of text here, commenting on everything you said but really I can summarize it in just a few words. That was (I think) THE and if not at least one of the most amazing reviews I have received for this story so far. Not only because you really do give me a lot of credit but you made it very constructive. You really did say what exactly you liked and how you would like things to go from here on out. Believe it or not, I do take into account what all of you, my readers, want to happen in the future of this story so long as it does not directly clash with what I have in mind for it. Thanks a lot for your review!

**So Inclined: **Thanks a lot. A memorable review.

**the0espada: **It depends on your interpretation of soulmate. But yes I do suppose you are right, when speaking of a soulmate people generally refer to the fact that their soulmate is the only person right for them in the world and that is that. Like two halfs of a puzzle. The only two matching parts. One isn't complete without the other. That kind of thing. I guess you caught me there. I not once hinted at something of such strength no, and while the Bleach universe would allow for something that strong to be molded into a story fairly easily I do not intend to go about it that way. I want it to be purely emotional, mutual understand, one would do everything for the other, the other's happiness and their life is more important to you then your own. That kind of thing is that I'm looking to achieve. But not yet. Maybe not even for a long time to come. But there it is, the kind of thing that I have in mind for Nel and Ichigo.

**darkmachines: **Tesla may or may not be dead. Cirucci still lives and is trapped within the dome of fire. I doubt a bit of water could dowse the fires of Ryuujin Jakka, but that is just my opinion and how I will go about it in my story. Yammy, in this fic is only the tenth Espada, there is no zero Espada. I never liked the entire concept of it.

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**Chapter 18: Every War Takes it's Toll**

A small frame was huddled in a dark corner of a dimly lit room. The light originated only from a small square window at the very top of the wall opposite of the small bundle of robes that appeared to be a person. It was night outside and only a small part of the moon was visible through the small frame of the window.

Mere hours ago the streets outside had been lively for that particular time of the day. Too lively. People running about in a hurry. Not just a few. Not just ten. Nor just a hundred. It might as well have been thousands. None could know for sure. Nor could the person that was huddled in the corner possibly know.

His...

Or was it her?

It's face obstructed from view, only it's black hair that hung loose around the side of it's face could be seen, even if only barely. Black hair, seemingly merging with black robes.

It was quiet. Now it was. Too quiet. Much unlike some hours ago. This place. It wasn't often loud. But nor was it ever truly quiet. Just today. It had been both already. An omen. Perhaps?

A giggle.

The person. It had raised it's head. Not it though. No, her. She had raised her head and looked around. Yellow eyes. Bright and yellow. She looked menacing, as she stood up.

Her finger. Seemed to touch the air. And then...gone. Swallowed up by the darkness of the room. Gone. Yet...there was one last point of notice.

They weren't robes. Black, yes. But not robes.

_Shihakusyou._

_Shinigami._

* * *

The explosion that rocked throughout the desert of Hueco Mundo was unreal. Almost all combatants, Shinigami and Arrancar alike instantly decided to continue their battles far away from the two clashing forces of reiatsu.

A wise move, Aizen thought. Right now the only two battles still going on in the vicinity of Ichigo were the battles between Starrk and Ukitake and Nel and Kyouraku. Probably the only two battles that would stand a chance of resuming their respective battles without being bothered too much by what was going on around them. Nonetheless, it would be a wise move for them too to seek a safer place to do battle.

Ichigo had progressed at a rate that not even Aizen had expected. Right now he was a force to be reckoned with and he hadn't even come close to reaching his full potential, of this the ex-Captain was sure. He would be careful not to become too trusting, too dependant on his strongest soldier. After all, too much trust could be a dangerous invitation for betrayal.

Regardless of Ichigo's strength however, the opponent he was facing was not one that anyone should ever take lightly. In Aizen's eyes it was only this man and one other that were the only two true obstacles standing in between himself and his final goal.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto hadn't been the Captain-Commander for over a millennia because he was someone that could be taken lightly. Aizen was confident that he could beat the man. But not because he was necessarily stronger no, as a matter of fact Aizen was sure that between the two of them, Yamamoto certainly had the upper hand when it concerned raw power.

He was uncertain though, if Ichigo could beat the old man. Personally, he had his doubts about that. But in the end, Ichigo had surprised him more then once. Had done things he shouldn't have been able to before. He would not let the young Espada surprise him again.

"_Utae.."_

Kyouraku's eyes narrowed when Nelliel's Zanpakutou started glowing a dark black colour and a purple haze was starting to emit from it.

"…_Gamuza!"_

A bright yellow flash blinded him albeit briefly before the storm that Kyouraku now knew was the power of the _Tercera_Espada broke loose.

Her spiritual energy exploded outwards, forming a dome-like shape all around her. Dust, sand and debris was blasted away from her violently, causing many a Shinigami that had been foolish enough to be as close as they were to be crushed by the unrelenting force that was Nelliel tu Oderschvank. A large explosion resounded far too close to them for comfort at the location on which he was sure Yamamoto was fighting the Primera Espada. The impending danger however was instantly put in the back of his mind as Nelliel's reiatsu skyrocketed once more. A raging typhoon of sand and dust largely obstructed her from view and the only thing he could really make out amongst the chaos in front of him was a single pair of bright crimson red dots, presumably eyes, staring right at him.

One last surge of power required Kyouraku to cover his eyes and head to protect himself from the obvious danger of her resurreccion before it suddenly died down, revealing her released form for all to see.

His jaw almost dropped.

Gone was the cartoonish skull that was once adorned so nicely on her kind face. Replaced by a skull mask eerily similar and yet completely different. It's large eyesockets gone, replaced by thin, wicked slits with a pair of large, curved and extremely sharp-looking horns. The general design had remained the same except everything looked somehow more threatening. To top it all off, the slits that were now it's eyesockets glew an eery red.

The light brown eyes that had earlier looked at him with kindess, compassion and a mutual understanding, but also with fierce determination and one time, rage, were gone entirely. The iris and pupil in both of her eyes had vanished completely. Causing her to look at him with eyes that said nothing, that were empty.

The rest of her face was covered as well by a large fragment of mask that had sprouted from the sides and back of the skull on her head. It looked wicked and animalistic as it covered the sides and back of her head as well as extending in front of her face, covering her mouth and the majority of her nose. Only a small part just below the back of her head was opened up, allowing her hair to spread out onto her back.

Two exact replicas of the skull at the top of her head could now be seen sported on both her left and right shoulder. Green and orange were the colors of their eyesockets.

Her hands, legs, feet, chest and shoulders were all covered up completely. The only skin still visible were her arms, stomach, neck and a little bit just around her eyes.

She was wielding a Daito with a triangular shaped guard that was significantly longer then his Katana. The Daito was pitch-black with what appeared to be stains of red at the edges. Wether they were real, or just for appearance sake, he truly did not know nor did he really care.

One last thing he noticed was a Kanji on the forehead of each of the skull masks on Nelliel's body. From left to right to her head the Kanji's stood for: Compassion, Reason and Sanity.

Nel raised her head, still getting used to the all too familiar feelings that awakened within her every single time she used her _resurreccion_. Primal instinct, the hollow within her crying out for blood. She knew she could control it just fine though.

Yet, she was also well aware that dragging out the battle too long could only prove dangerous for every single person on the battlefield including herself and her friends.

Looking Kyouraku in the eyes, she spoke. "No more games." Her unearthly voice surprised her and it took her a second to realize that it was her own.

She charged.

* * *

Relief had flooded her very being when she realized that Ichigo was still alive. Seconds later, dread had consumed her almost entirely when she feared for the Captain-Commander's life and their impending defeat in this war. She was glad Ichigo was alive and fighting again. She was glad Yamamoto was not nearly as wounded as she had feared he was. But above all she once again feared for Ichigo's life.

"Rukia!" A panicked voice called out in what she interpreted as fear.

She did not even get enough time to realize why the voice sounded so panicked or who it belonged to as something impacted with her head, sending her flying. Looking up, mid-flight she saw the enraged form of Grimmjow speeding after her, making her realize she'd been a fool to lose focus.

Gripping her _Zanpakutou_ tighter she stabbed it in the ground below as she flipped over, using both her Zanpakutou and her feet to skid to a halt. Raising her gaze she met Grimmjow's all too soon, him being no more then a handful of yards removed from reaching her.

Rukia grinned, holding her _Zanpakutou_upside down.

"_Mae, Sode no Shirayuki,"_

She could clearly see Grimmjow's eyes narrow in response, it was too late though.

"_Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"_

A large glowing white circle instantly appeared around Rukia. She was sure without a doubt that this was one of the largest she had ever produced. Looking back at Grimmjow who was currently making a slashing motion with his _Zanpakutou_ directed towards her neck, clearly full of rage of the earlier beating he had received at the hands of herself and Hisagi she saw a slight glimmer of fear in his eyes, not knowing just what _Shirayuki__'__s_ability was going to do.

As the large pillar of ice shot up from the ground dozens of yards up into the air Rukia heard a soft sound that she could not immediately identify. Nonetheless, it didn't matter their was a fair chance that she had just ended this fight and leave herself, Hisagi and Renji to help the other Captains. And even if it wasn't finished just yet, Grimmjow would be severely wounded. _Tsukishiro_ was, in the end, her Shikai's most powerful ability. It's use was just somewhat limited and situational, the ability was easy to dodge if one wasn't coming at you at full speed, that combined with the long incantation left plenty of warning for any opponent to avoid it, especially if they had already seen it before.

Dispelling the ice, she was once again warned by a panicked shout of whom she now realized was Renji. Turning around she quickly _shunpo__'__d_ away. Knowing that this time Renji would have acted. Not disappointing her she soon after heard _Zabimaru_ impact with the ground below.

As she arrived back where Renji and Hisagi were both retracting their thrown _Zanpakutou_ she quickly noticed Grimmjow had halted on the middle of what they had come to realize was their private battlefield. He was intently staring in the direction of where she could clearly feel an immense increase in reiatsu. Not even giving her a chance to understand how he had escaped her attack unharmed she looked over in the same direction and saw who she thought to be Nel covered in a dark black mist mixed with a purple haze.

No more but a second later, the mist exploded outwards completely obstructing anything and everything within a five yard radius from view. Nel's reiatsu was skyrocketing higher and higher with each passing second. Rukia was certain it was quickly becoming almost twice as high as her original amount. Her jaw dropped slightly as she thought she knew now just why Nel was the Espada that was granted the number three.

Slowly but surely the mist cleared and when it was entirely gone, the sight that she got to lay her eyes upon her made her eyes widen considerably. She could not believe that the figure she was looking upon, the figure standing opposite of Kyouraku was the kind hearted Arrancar that she had gotten to know as Nel. The eyes atop her mask glwoing an eerie red, her cartoon like mask had changed so drastically that it looked extremely intimidating, going as far as to cover her entire face except the upper part of her nose and a small area beneath her eyes. Two more of these masks were placed upon her shoulders and almost her entire body was covered in armour that looked way too similar to those frightening masks. On top of all that she wielded a black Daito that appeared way too large for a woman such as herself, larger even then Kyouraku's Katana which was considered well above average length. Rukia could spot no scabbard or anything as such. Just a single plain black sword contradicting the bone-white colour of Nel's _resurreccion._But what frightened her above all were Nel's eyes, gone were the beautiful, kind and compassionate brown eyes, replaced by wicked eyes with no pupil, no iris, just plain white eyes.

"Tch. So it's true after all." Rukia was distracted by Grimmjow's voice who, as she turned to look at him, was looking at Nel with an irritated expression on his face.

When Grimmjow turned to look at her she questioningly raised an eyebrow.

"That woman," Grimmjow explained as he pointed a finger to Nel. "None of the Espada ever believed she was worthy of the rank of _Tercera_. She was powerful for sure, stronger then me I know that!" He almost shouted out the last part in fury. "Yet third-strongest? Many people doubted that to be true. She was too kind-hearted." He grinned, his grin soon turning into a chuckle, his chuckle becoming a soft laugh and his laugh quickly turning into outright maniacal laughter.

"Which makes this even better! Kind-hearted Nel Tu, becoming the complete opposite of everything she is and stands for! It's ironic, it's crazy it's... inspiring!"

Loud bangs and swords clashing could be heard from where Nel was fighting. When she noticed Grimmjow looking over, grinning like a maniac she could see Kyouraku was actually bleeding. Kyouraku one of the most powerful Captains to have ever lived seemed to have met his match.

Returning her gaze to Grimmjow she felt his maniacal grin becoming somewhat intimidating.

"This guy is something else Rukia, he reminds me of Zaraki." Renji's voice spoke up from her left.

"He does indeed, from here on we should tread carefully. He is number seven, so there are 6 stronger then him, but also three weaker then him. He has proven he's a force to be reckoned with by surviving two very powerful attacks. Stay together, focus and find his weakness!"

Loud laughter interrupted them as they found Grimmjow roaring with laughter, throwing his head back in the air.

"A weakness?" He spoke in between laughing. "I am the king! I have no weaknesses. This where you'll die Shinigami, let me show you the true power of an Espada!"

Holding his blade horizontally by his side he laid his finger nails on the blade. Once again, Rukia could feel the ground starting to tremble by the increasing power from the Espada in front of them. Sand was rising up in the air, the blade started to glow a bright blue color as Grimmjow's grin only widened with every passing second that the sound of his increasing reiatsu was muting all other sounds around them.

"_Kishire,__Pantera!__"_

Quickly whirling around she saw the panicked faces of Renji and Hisagi shouting something at her. But she couldn't hear. Before the sandstorm that was caused by Grimmjow's increasing power reached it's climax and covered both herself, Renji and Hisagi completely she faintly saw Zabimaru starting to glow a bright red colour. Renji was using his Bankai, it appeared. Rukia however refused to use her own. Not yet.

When the sandstorm lay low again and she found that she was being carried by the huge form of _Hihio __Zabimaru_ her jaw dropped as she laid eyes upon _Septima __Espada_, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques.

* * *

Ggio dodged another horizontal slash at his midsection and quickly _sonido__'__d_ away knowing the blonde-haired Shinigami that introduced herself as Matsumoto Rangiku was behind him, ready to take advantage of his compromising situation.

Reappearing behind Kira he slashed at the lieutenant-Shinigami only for him to turn around and parry his blade, smirking. Before Ggio had a chance to wonder why Kira had smirked so obviously he had could feel his _Zanpakutou_ was being pulled to the ground. Refusing to give in he redoubled his efforts to raise his blade and as he saw Kira aiming another slash at his _Zanpakutou _rather then at Ggio himself in a situation such as this, where he was wide open, he knew enough. He quickly _Sonido__'__d_ to a safe distance again.

"That was a mistake, Kira Izuru," Ggio stated flatly, still having trouble adjusting to the new weight of his _Zanpakutou._

Kira's eyes narrowed every so slightly as he spoke. "Quite the arrogant one aren't you? Whoever says it was my intention to…"

"That's exactly what I'm referring to," Ggio interrupted. "You call me the arrogant one but you're the one who thinks that I don't know exactly what you were trying to do. The moment after my _Zanpakutou _touched yours it became severely heavier which honestly I could think of half a dozen of reasons or techniques that may appear to have such an effect. You only gave yourself away when after that instead of trying to use the opening you created you directed your attack straight towards my _Zanpakutou _again, intending to assure your victory I'm sure."

Kira's eyes widened as realization dawned upon him but he quickly regained a neutral look on his face. "Maybe so, but no man can fight effectively with a sword that is twice as heavy as it normally is. My Wabisuke will double the weight of anything it cuts. We may not yet have won but for as long as you're using your _Zanpakutou_ we won't be far from it either."

Ggio looked down to the ground as he went over Kira's words. Turning his head around he saw his master, Ichigo, in his _resurreccion_ fighting his very hardest against the Captain-Commander of Soul Society. A veteran Shinigami with over two millennia of fight experience and it seems he was actually holding his own quite well. Ichigo was Ggio's prime example of what a true warrior should be like. And it was Ichigo that once more inspired Ggio.

"You may be right," Ggio started. "But my master has taught me better, he has taught what it is like to be a true warrior."

Both Kira and Matsumoto's eyes narrowed to slits when they heard Ggio utter the word master. "So Aizen has gotten his pets to call him master now has he?" Kira shouted. "You Arrancar are…"

"Aizen!" Ggio called out, chuckling softly. "No, not Aizen. He may be my creator but my master is not what I would call him. It doesn't matter. Regardless..."

"A warrior's strength is not defined," Ggio spoke as he loosened the grip on his _Zanpakutou _until it dropped to the ground. "By the sword that he wields."

Kira and Matsumoto looked at each other, both clearly wondering whether this Arrancar was either far more powerful then they had thought, far more arrogant then they had come to believe or had simply lost it's mind.

"But," Ggio continued as he raised his head, "By his determination for victory and his reasons for fighting!" Ggio shouted out as he disappeared from view, reappearing in between the two Shinigami and knocking Matsumoto to the ground with a backhand while blocking Kira's swing by grabbing him at the upper arm before send him flying too with an uppercut.

Quickly turning around he was just in time to _Sonido_ away from the ash-cloud that Matsumoto had already send his way. Turning around he had time to spare to duck, making Kira's swing pass right over his head, leaving the Shinigami wide open, yet again. Grabbing the man by his fist, ensuring that he would not swing his _Zanpakutou _at him again, he pointed his finger at Kira's chest and started a charging a _Cero_.

Fear was evident in Kira' s eyes as he used his unoccupied hand to pummel Ggio's head which, protected by his mask, barely affected him. An increase in reiatsu behind him however distracted him, without looking, he was confident he knew what was coming and stopped charging his _Cero_, once again vanished with the use of _Sonido_. Reappearing at ground level he found that he'd been right as Matsumoto was only just in time to stop her ash-cloud from harming Kira.

He realised that, while he was definitely taking the fight his way, even without a _Zanpakutou_, chances were high he would be unable to defeat these two Shinigami together if he continued like this. Something had to change and he thought he might have a plan, even though it had it's risks.

Looking up, he saw Kira appeared to be chanting an extremely complex Kidou spell. He knew it was Kidou because he recognized it from everything Ichigo had told him about it. While Matsumoto had her eyes closed and her Zanpakutou at the ready.

He decided to go for his plan the moment Kira finished his chant.

"_Bakudou #62 – Hyapporankan!" _

Ggio sped off towards his destination as a glowing blue rod appeared in Kira's hand which was instantly thrown towards Ggio. Looking at the rod he surmised that if he kept running at this speed it would land slightly behind him. His eyes widened, when the single rod quickly turned into dozens that he, undoubtedly would not be able to dodge if he kept his speed at this level.

Using _Sonido_, he reappeared about twenty yards ahead of himself and was only just in time to halt, dodging a rod that landed right in front of him. Jumping to the side he dodged two more and with a final _Sonido_ he reappeared another fifty yards ahead of his currently location, only ten more removed from his destination.

As he kept running he looked behind his shoulder once more, this time to discover that another few dozen rods were coming at him. He was too late, he couldn't dodge them anymore. Using _Sonido_ once again he reappeared five yards ahead of his previous location yet he realized he had not gotten far enough when he felt something impact with his left shoulder, his face hit the ground and he grunted in pain when several more rods pierced his body. Pushing himself up he managed to get back into a standing position just five yards away from his destination. It was then that something entered his field of vision yet again. It was greyish and blurry and sped towards him too fast to dodge, he would not be able to dodge it at his current speed, he tried to run, but lost his footing and fell down as Matsumoto's ash-cloud finally impacted in his back.

* * *

Nel could clearly see Kyouraku raise his guard as she charged at him. Within seconds she arrived at his location and swung her _Zanpakutou_ diagonally at his chest. He reacted by sidestepping her assault resulting in Nel twisting her foot and aiming a backward kick at his chest which connected, sending the veteran-Captain skidding a few yards across the dessert.

She did not pause as she _Sonido__'__d_ behind him and thrust her _Zanpakutou_ towards his exposed backside. Kyouraku reacted with skills only obtained by centuries of experience; he turned around and pushed her blade of course causing it to miss his side by mere inches. This move however left Nel wide open and was quickly taken advantage of when the usually good-natured Captain swung both of his _Zanpakutou_ at her horizontally from two different directions, one going for her neck and the other for her abdominal region.

Nel, still having to get used to the new reflexes and speed that came with the _resurreccion_ that she had used only once before, was forced to improvise and could only hope she would come out okay. She ducked ever so slightly at about the height she knew the higher _Zanpakutou_ would pass over her head, then pushed her feet off the ground and twisted her entire body in such a way that the two _Zanpakutou_ passed both over and underneath her respectively.

Landing again, she saw Kyouraku's eyes widen ever so slightly, indicating his surprise. Now however, was not the time to pat herself on the back as she instantly went back on the offensive and swung her _Zanpakutou_ horizontally at him once more. Kyouraku, still struggling to regain control of the speed that his _Zanpakutou _had created when he had hit nothing but thin air, saw no other option but to jump back. Sadly however this didn't prove as effective as he had hoped and he grunted in pain when Nel's attack grazed his chest. Had he been any slower in reaction, that attack would've turned the tide of their battle in the Espada's definitive favour.

Nel would not give him a chance to turn the tide of the battle against her again. With renewed vigour, knowing the attack that she had just landed against him could cost him victory in the end even if he managed to turn the tide yet again, she attacked. She launched a flurry of incredibly fast attacks at the Shinigami-Captain that forced him even further on the defensive. Nel quickly noticed that he had trouble defending against her assault even with the use of two _Zanpakutou_.

"Eh, Nel-chan…" Kyouraku stuttered, trying his very best to defend against her assault. "Why don't we take it easy for a second, this isn't…" His words were cut off however when she managed to cut him deeply in one of his upper legs. He had to bite back a groan of pain and decided he had to get his act together as he _shunpo__'__d _several dozen yards away.

Much to both his surprise and relief, he noticed Nel was still standing at the exact same position where he was before he _shunpo__'__d_. He had to admit it though; he had been interested in seeing an Arrancar's _resurreccion_ and had wondered whether it was any similar to a Shinigami's _Shikai _or _Bankai_. He heard it was. But so far he had not spotted a single new ability yet the increase in her power, speed, agility and general reflexes was astounding. He was certain that right now, she matched him in most if not all and even exceeded him in some.

What surprised him most however was neither the increase in power nor the increase in speed. What surprised him most of all was just how incredibly ruthless her assaults had been. The previous, unreleased Nel had been strong, fast but both her way of attacking and defending had portrait a certain measure of respect for the other combatant. All of that was gone, right now she was fighting for blood, she was fighting to kill. She had not spoken any words other then 'No more games' at the very beginning of their resumed battle and thinking back to that unearthly voice of hers now, Kyouraku realised he was rather glad.

It was time for him to get serious too. He had to admit that he doubted he could ever possibly defeat her like this but he still had two aces to play. And if this was all that her _resurreccion_ had to offer he had to admit to himself that the battle was already over.

Meeting her narrowed eyes, he mimicked them. Getting back in a battle stance, he slowly spoke.

"_Hana __kaze __midarete, __kashin __naki, __tenpu __midarete, __tenma __warau, __**Katen**__**Kyoukotsu**__!__" _

_(When __the __flower __wind __rages,__the __flower __god __roars, __when __the __wind __of __heaven __rages, __the __god __of __the __underworld __sneers. __**Flower **__**wind **__**rage **__**and **__**flower **__**god **__**roar, **__**heavenly **__**wind **__**rage **__**and **__**heavenly **__**demon **__**sneer.**_)

A bright flash blinded Nel who had to close her eyes. When the flash passed and she opened them, the Eighth Division Captain stood there holding a pair of heavily curved, black Scimitars with silver edges. Each of them sported a long red tassel dangling from the end of the hilt and despite the fact that they appeared perfectly identical Nel could still make out their difference in size. This most likely meant that one was still meant for speed strikes while the other was the power-house out of the two. Just like before he had released them. Nonetheless they remained an impressive sight to behold.

Deciding she had waited long enough, she charged. Within a second she was already halfway to the Captain's location but he quickly reacted by holding both blades in opposite direction and rotating at an extremely fast speed causing two large blades of what Nel guessed would be wind to speed towards her. The two blades were almost completely connected and she managed to dodge them only by jumping up into the air. Yet one of her feet still got caught by one and it felt like it wrapped itself around it. She quickly retracted her foot but she had clearly felt dozens upon dozens of small stings that indicated it was indeed a wind-natured attack.

Landing again, she stumbled slightly, having to readjust her weight to her wounded right foot before she continued her charge. She could clearly see Kyouraku assuming the same pose again with both blades held in opposite directions. Deciding upon a plan she jumped as she charged a _Cero_ with her unoccupied hand. As expected, Kyouraku altered his pose slightly.

"_Bushogoma." _

The Captain spoke and another set of wind blades that quickly connected together in a tornado-like figure sped at her. Smirking she released her _Cero_ before it got too close and the resulting explosion caused her to be blasted downwards as _Bushogoma_ passed over her with plenty of room to spare.

Yet again stumbling slightly on her wounded foot because of the harsh landing she quickly regained her footing only to find that the Captain was already coming at her. He quickly swung his _Zanpakutou _and forced Nel on the defensive for the first time since she had released her _resurreccion_.

"You're the first to be so quick to evade my _Bushogoma_," Kyouraku stated, still assaulting her viciously. "Then again, it may have something to do with the fact that it doesn't look all that dangerous but in reality it's speed and damage exceeds that of most attacks that I know. It's far harder to dodge then it looks is it not, Nel-chan?" Kyouraku somewhat tauntingly stated, obviously referring to her foot.

Nel reacted by dodging another swing and parrying a final one before jumping backwards slightly and kicking him in the chest sending him skidding a few feet, creating some distance and allowing her some room.

"Don't become arrogant now, Kyouraku, it doesn't suit you!" Nel's unearthly voice called out angrily. "This battle is far from over and you know it, start by drawing some actual blood other then a few scratches on my feet and see your own arrogance justified!"

Readying her blade in a battle stance she charged again.

Kyouraku realized now that Nel had indeed become a completely different person the moment she unleashed her _resurreccion_. It was a shame because he was sure that in another world, another time and if they weren't separated by the Shinigami and Arrancar boundaries, they could've gotten along well. Narrowing his eyes, he got ready to end this once and for all.

"Very well, Espada-san,"

Getting back in a battle stance he waited for the right moment, the moment he knew he should strike, the moment that had come all too fast. With regret he spoke the final word that he knew would end this battle.

"_Takaoni.__"_

When Nel had almost reached his location he took two long strides, pushed off from the ground and prepared to jump over her.

Nel smirked as she swung at the form passing over her head; her smirk faltered when she realized she didn't hit anything and saw a single Scimitar coming at her. Altering the course of her blade she was only just in time to parry.

Nel screamed out in agony as their two swords clashed against one another. Nonetheless a large and deep wound appeared in between her neck and shoulder, exactly where the blade would've struck had she not parried it. Her legs could no longer hold her and she dropped to her knees before they gave out too and she fell down on the ground entirely. Her world went black.

* * *

**A/N:** Seeing as you have arrived at the end of the chapter I say, thank you for staying with me despite the incredibly long wait for the next update. Minutes after I finish writing these Author Notes I will start working on the first paragraph of the next chapter and I expect, (READ: "Expect") the next to be out within two weeks. Chapter length will be similar, possibly somewhat longer but definitely not shorter.

~Bruuz out.


	20. Sacrifice

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Bleach!

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks a lot for the amazing reviews. Trust me, I'm just as glad to still have you all reading my story as you apparently are to see me still in action. Enjoy the next chapter, I'm sure it'll hold some surprises for some of you.

* * *

**Chapter 19: Sacrifice**

"That's the way I like to see it, niño!" Dordonii spoke. "Now show me more! Show me your _Bankai_! And I will fight you with everything I've got too!"

Ikkaku narrowed his eyes. "_Bankai?_ What makes you think a third Seat would be powerful enough to possess _Bankai_? Are you crazy, Arrancar!"

"Don't play games with me, Madarame Ikkaku! Were you not the one that almost killed Yammy, the _Décima __Espada?_" Dordonii asked him.

Ikkaku's eyes narrowed even further. "Shut the hell up! If I had a _Bankai_ I would've used it to crush you the moment you made my face hit the sands!" He shouted as he charged at the Arrancar.

Jabbing _Houzukimaru_ at Dordonii's face the man was just in time to dodge and countered with a kick aimed at Ikkaku's chin which he dodged by throwing back his head. Smirking he disconnected one of the parts of _Houzukimaru_, which was still being retracted from next to Dordonii's head and gave a slight jolt with the weapon. Instantly, the spear-like end of his _Zanpakutou_ headed straight for the unprotected backside of Dordonii's head, yet the man only grinned in return as he ducked. _Houzukimaru_ passed straight over his head and Ikkaku was forced to reconnect its joints, lest he be hit by his own _Zanpakutou_.

Before he had a chance to resume his assault a foot connected with his head, sending him flying. He quickly regained his footing and skidded to a halt, still slightly disoriented he met Dordonii's determined gaze and charged at the Arrancar yet again. The moment he started to near the man he swung his _Zanpakutou_ at him and disconnected all of _Houzukimaru_'s joints, resulting in him swinging his weapon at Dordonii like a flail.

He did not appear surprised and dodged the weapon with ease, yet again. "I've seen all of this before, niño. If you want to beat me you'll have to show me your _Bankai_!"

"Seen it before!" Ikkaku shouted, enraged. "I've never met you before you idiot, you're talking shit! Bankai? Right now you're infuriating me so much that if I'd had it, I'd have destroyed you with it minutes ago!"

He continued his assault relentlessly, refusing to give up despite the fact that this Arrancar seemed able to predict his every move. Almost as if he _had_seen him fight before. Another jab, but this time Dordonii countered by dodging and once again send him flying, this time with an upward kick to the jaw that did connect.

"In and outside Las Noches," Ikkaku heard Dordonii's voice speak up. "Everything that happens is recorded and kept in storage. You wonder why I can predict every single one of your moves? It's because I've studied your battle with Yammy over and over again, I've been waiting for the day to fight you ever since I found out that you defeated the _Décima_ _Espada!_"

Ikkaku grunted slightly as he stood up, still disoriented from the kick to his jaw yet he had understood perfectly fine just what Dordonii had said. "Is that so?" Ikkaku asked with narrowed eyes. "What's it to you? You want to beat me because I could've killed that shithead Yammy had that other idiot not interrupted?"

Dordonii smiled. "Yes and no." He answered. "You have to understand, niño. What it's like to be at the top. Once you've stood there, you can never forget the view. I was an Espada once long before Aizen obtained the Hougyoku. I will prove my worth to him; I will make him notice me again. And I will do so by defeating you, the Shinigami that defeated Yammy and reclaim my position among the Espada. But for that to happen I have to defeat you at full strength. So show me your _Bankai_ and show it to me now!" Dordonii shouted, enraged.

Before Ikkaku had time to respond to the previous Espada's words, Dordonii already charged at him and Ikkaku was forced to raise his guard and ready himself for battle.

* * *

Ichigo's attention wavered slightly as he dodged another torrent of fire. He could feel Nel's reiatsu signature decreasing rapidly until it almost seemed to vanish in its entirety. Worry took a hold of him for just a moment but he soon realized that while it was faint, it was still there.

Once more he was forced to resort to using _Sonido_, in order dodge a high powered fire-based attack that Ichigo had gotten to know as _Taimatsu_. More dangerous then most of Yamamoto's regular fire-attacks because the amount of control he had over the flames was far greater. Yamamoto could alter the intensity of the flames and where he wanted them to go with seemingly no more then a simple thought.

Reappearing behind the man he raised _Atrevico_ high above his head and slashed downwards at the Captain-Commander's exposed back in a vertical motion. He merely looked at Ichigo with an unimpressed gaze as he turned around and grabbed Ichigo's hand mid-swing, causing a loud bang to indicate the force behind Ichigo's attack to resonate throughout the desert.

"You are a thousand years too young to wound me with such an obvious attack," The old man stated boldly.

Ichigo merely smirked. "Is that so, old man?" His obvious arrogance causing the aged Shinigami to narrow his eyes.

"_Kuroi__…" _Ichigo started as he hooked his arm around the proud leader of Soul Society's shoulder.

Yamamoto, instantly realizing the dangerous he was in as he could clearly see black and red reiatsu forming at the edge of Ichigo's blade, made a jabbing motion with his _Zanpakutou_ towards Ichigo's abdomen.

"…_Getsuga!" Ichigo roared. _

A large black crescent-moon shaped figure of reiatsu erupted at the tip of his _Zanpakutou_. Ichigo was forced to unhook his arm from around the Captain-Commander's shoulder in order to dodge the thrust he was aiming at his abdomen. As his _Kuroi __Getsuga_ made contact with the old man he could still feel a burning, stinging sensation at his side as _Ryuujin __Jakka_ slightly grazed his skin.

Once again meeting the gaze of Yamamoto he found that the man was stubbornly holding his ground against the phenomenal power put behind the attack. He had somehow managed to raise his hand up against the attack in order to avoid a direct hit but was slowly skidding across the ground due to the incredible amount of power Ichigo had invested in his attack.

Fire once more erupted from the tip of _Ryuujin __Jakka_, obviously meant to help him fend off Ichigo's _Getsuga_and it was obvious that he was slowly gaining more and more control. Something Ichigo could not allow to happen.

Using his _Sonido_ he disappeared and reappeared in a semi-circle around his powerful opponent, firing a significantly weaker _Getsuga_ every single time he reappeared, at the Captain-Commander's chest. Each came from a slightly different angle making it much harder to defend against and it was obvious that Ichigo's assault was once more taking control as large beads of sweat started to dripple down Yamamoto's forehead. The inferno of fire that was almost completely blocking Yamamoto from view, increased in its intensity.

Appearing behind his struggling opponent Ichigo raised his _Zanpakutou_ high above his head once more. Yamamoto turned his head, and locked eyes with Ichigo. The former's eyes widening significantly as he realized the precarious situation this 'youngster' had just put him in. The reiatsu on the tip of Ichigo's _Zanpakutou_ was increasing with every passing second and with Yamamoto having no choice but to defend against the raging assault of several _Getsuga_'s in front of him this could very well end up as a deciding factor in their battle.

It was then that Ichigo realized that, while he was shaping up his final attack to be of life-threatening proportions, the Captain-Commander had started a long chant, one that he easily recognized. This left him no choice but to finally release his attack.

The sky was covered in a cloud of black and red reiatsu as Ichigo was blinded by the power and force behind his own brutal assault against Yamamoto, one that could potentially end this battle. Never before had he fired a _Kuroi __Getsuga_ with such an absurd amount of power behind it, afraid of the consequences an attack of this magnitude would cause.

All sounds of battle around him seemed to cease instantly as Soul Society's Commander was swallowed up by Ichigo's brutal attacked that started out small but ended up as large as the highest tower of Las Noches and spreading out in it's width as far as requiring several other Captain-Class combatants to quickly _Shunpo _and _Sonido _far away from Ichigo.

He was sure, that this time he had finally wounded the old yet toughest opponent Ichigo had battled so far, significantly. He knew however that in the last second before his attack made contact, the Captain-Commander had cut his incantation short and created a shield at his back, using half the incantation required for _Bakudou__#81__ – __Danku_. One that, while powerful would undoubtedly only absorb a slight amount of the damage he would receive.

Yet there was more to Ichigo's attack then met the eye. It was not simply an attack with nothing more then brutal force behind its power. Ichigo knew that, if he made it powerful enough, he would blast the Captain-Commander straight through not only the _Getsuga_'s that he was trying to deflect in front of him, but also through the fire of his own _Ryuujin __Jakka_. Sadly, that part of his plan failed as the _Bakudou_ that Yamamoto created had left him just enough time to retract _Ryuujin __Jakka__'_s inferno back into its _Zanpakutou_.

When Hueco Mundo's sky cleared again, and the smoke and desert sand caused by Ichigo's attack settled down, Ichigo himself had trouble to keep a neutral expression on his face. There was a giant ravine right in front of him, starting small at perhaps a single foot width at his feet which continued up to easily a hundred yards in length and its width increasing to several dozens of yards in. His attack had been far more devastating then even he could have imagined.

At the very end of the ravine, he could vaguely see the smoking figure of the Captain-Commander of Soul Society lying face down in the sand.

* * *

Rukia, Renji and Hisagi had been struggling the moment Grimmjow had released his _resurreccion_. Despite the fact that Renji had already unleashed his _Bankai_ it appeared to be in vain. Grimmjow was a powerhouse unlike any other person she had ever met, save perhaps Zaraki Kenpachi.

Another kick to her side sent her flying yet again, resulting in both Renji and Hisagi retaliating at the vicious looking Arrancar.

After Grimmjow released his _Zanpakutou_, he became far more feline and predatory looking. His teeth became jagged and sharp, his hands turned into black claws and his feet became black clawed paws, similar to that of a cat, along with a slender whip-like tail. His hair became very long and flowing, and the markings around his eyes enlarged and extended to the tips of his ears, which became cat-like. He lost his distinctive jaw mask, which was replaced by a sort of headgear on his forehead. His clothing changed to become form-fitting white segmented armour. Lastly he got blades protruding from his forearms and his calves. All in all, it looked mightily intimidating.

Looking back up Rukia saw _Hihio__Zabimaru_ speeding at Grimmjow from behind, she saw _Zabimaru_ open its mouth and a red ball of reiatsu that was charging inside of it. Hisagi meanwhile had thrown his _Kazeshini_ towards Grimmjow from the front, an obvious attempt to keep Grimmjow focused on Hisagi while Renji attacked from behind.

Grimmjow merely smirked as Renji released his _Hikotsu __Taihou_(_Baboon __Bone __Cannon)_. When both _Kazeshini_ and _Zabimaru__'__s __Hikotsu __Taihou_, had almost reached Grimmjow, he vanished with the static sound of _Sonido_, forcing Hisagi to _Shunpo_ himself to safety or be hit by Renji's attack.

Arriving approximately fifty yards to the left of his original location Hisagi's eyes widened to find Grimmjow's grinning face right next to him, his bladed forearm going right for Hisagi's chest.

"Hisagi!" Rukia shouted out as she finally hit the ground with a thud in what must have been the longest descent she ever experienced. She watched in horror as blood spurted from her Lieutenant's chest and his body collapsed to the ground, lifelessly.

Before she had a chance to retaliate the very sky of Hueco Mundo darkened even further and it became filled with a glowing eerie red light. Turning around, she saw what must have been the largest attack she had ever witnessed, before more black and red reiatsu obstructed everything and everyone from view.

Feeling imminent danger approaching her in the form of Ichigo's reiatsu signature she was sure she was only just in time to grab Hisagi's body and _Shunpo_ several dozen yards away, to safety. She could clearly feel that the heat of Ichigo's brutal attack had scorched a few of her hairs despite the fact that she had gotten away in time.

Slowly but surely the sky became as bright as Hueco Mundo's night sky would ever be again. The sight that entered her vision, made her jaw drop. Ichigo's attack had created a massive ravine, starting small at first and ending up dozens of yards in width at the end. She could only just make out the small smoking figure of the Captain-Commander lying face down in the desert at the end of it.

She panicked. All around them she could hear cheers of joy and renewed determination coming from the _Numerós_. The lower ranked Shinigami on the other hand watched in horror to their broken leader while they were cut down by the dozens.

Rukia froze. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined Ichigo to truly be capable of defeating their Commander, the one Shinigami that had led Soul Society for over a millennium. She had known of course that Yamamoto would have to take the fight serious, but their Captain-Commander had always taken every fight serious. She had just hoped that Ichigo would get out of it alive, that either Yamamoto would spare him, or deemed him wounded enough to no longer be a threat.

But this, not in a thousand years had she thought Ichigo capable of actually defeating the man. Panic took a hold over her once more as all around her the Captains were being pushed to their very limit, distracted by their leader's defeat which was quickly taken advantage of by their opponents.

Turning around she saw Grimmjow charging at her with the most maniacal grin on his face she had seen thus far. He too was obviously inspired by Ichigo's victory, ready to prove that he too would be victorious.

* * *

Kyouraku's eyes widened as he laid them upon the broken form of his mentor. When he noticed Ichigo nearing the unconscious Captain-Commander he instantly prepared to _Shunpo_ to his aid. He was distracted however by a reiatsu signature nearby him growing higher and higher with each passing second. He had studied that particular reiatsu signature for a while now and knew exactly who it belonged to.

A bloodied Nel rose up from the desert sands and met Kyouraku's gaze with an unusually kind expression on her face. At least, unusual for the Nel he had gotten to know since she released her _Zanpakutou_.

"There's something about your _Zanpakutou_'s _Shikai_ that intrigues me, Kyouraku-san." Her voice was as unearthly as ever, yet it did sound somewhat more kind and compassionate then before. Perhaps the damage had reawakened a part of the original Nel.

Kyouraku realized that her reiatsu was still skyrocketing to levels even higher then they were before and he soon came to the conclusion that quickly taking her out to come to the old man's aid was not an option. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw that it might not be necessary after all anyway.

"_Takaoni_." Nel stated flatly. "The literal translation of that would be mountain demon. Mountain could refer to height since I clearly blocked your attack and yet at the same time I didn't. I clearly slashed you at the chest, yet at the same time it did not connect. Mountain demon, it has something to do with height and I'm this close to figuring out what it is."

"It's impressive to see just how much you've figured out about one of my _Shikai_'s abilities after just seeing it once." Kyouraku answered. "But you aren't there yet."

"That's right, but you have figured out nothing so far about my _resurreccion_, while it has already caused damage that you are not aware of." Nel said, causing Kyouraku's eyes to gain a questioning look.

"Each and everyone of the Espada represent a certain aspect of Death." Nel explained. "Their aspect often compliment the way in which they fight and generally represents many of their abilities." Nel continued. "My aspect of Death is 'Sacrifice'"

"Sacrifice can be interpreted in a few different ways. One could sacrifice others to achieve their own goals or save their own lives yet that is not what I believe in. I believe in mutual respect and thus sacrifice for me represents sacrificing yourself or part of yourself in order to better the lives of either yourself, those closest to you or sometime even both."

Realization dawned upon Kyouraku as she told him about this new revelation. "I see," Kyouraku replied, with a sad smile. Perhaps some Arrancar were more humane then he had imagined they would be at first. This explained her change in personality; she had sacrificed part of herself, of who she was, when she released her _Zanpakutou_.

"I'm afraid this will be the last true conversation we will have in between now and the end of this fight, Kyouraku-san." Nel interrupted his thoughts. "It was an honour to meet you and may the best of us win." Nel finished, a determined expression returning upon her face.

Her reiatsu had slowly but surely been rising all throughout their conversation and right now it once again skyrocketed. Black reiatsu started to ooze out of the sockets on the skull on her left shoulder. Red markings were spreading across her armour in an intimidating looking pattern. Her _Zanpakutou_ grew a spiked guard and the red stains on the edge of the _Zanpakutou_ let loose taking the form of actual condensed and visual reiatsu that appeared bound to her weapon as it slowly twirled around it.

The ground began to shake once more as the Kanji for Compassion on her left shoulder disappeared and the green eye sockets dowsed until they were pitch black. Slowly but surely the storm of increasing reiatsu died down. Not like it had when Nel had first released, it was calm yet there was no question about the fact her power had yet again increased tremendously.

Kyouraku sighed as he got back in a battle stance. This Espada appeared to steadily become a far more dangerous opponent then he had guessed at first.

* * *

Reappearing next to the broken form of Yamamoto-Genryuusai Shigekuni Ichigo looked at the old man warily. He had struggled against this opponent for a long time, even after he had released his _resurreccion_. He had chosen however not to reveal a single one of his abilities until he found an opening that he could abuse so utterly and completely it would turn the tide of the battle in his favour. He found his opening, and the tide had been turned much farther then he could have ever hoped for.

Now he stood here, knowing he had to make the final blow. He had his doubts and he knew he truly did not want to strike down a defenceless opponent, yet there was no avoiding it. It would not be the first time this particular old man healed himself up to combat-ready state in no more then a minute after he was critically injured, Ichigo thought, thinking back to when he had stabbed the man after he dodged his _Ennetsu __Jigoku_(_Flames __of __Hell_).

Raising his _Zanpakutou_ high above his head, he slashed down with determination.

Yet the unexpected sound of metal hitting metal surprised him. Looking up he locked eyes with the figure Ukitake Jyuushirou, his face sporting a furious expression.

Ukitake slashed at him violenty requiring Ichigo to _Sonido_ to a safer distance. His face remained stoic as he looked back to where he knew Ukitake had been battling Starrk. Surprisingly Ukitake had been able to bind Starrk in _Bakudou__#99 __Part__1__ – __Kin_. This obviously happened only because of a simple adrenaline rush, a desperate need to save his mentor. Looking back at Ukitake, Ichigo realized it to be true as he was desperately clutching one of his arms and blood was seeping through his fingers.

"Just how long do you think that _Bakudou_ will be able to keep Starrk in place, Ukitake-san?" Ichigo stated flatly.

"Long enough for me to keep you occupied while the Captain-Commander regains his strength." Ukitake answered fiercely.

"That won't be necessary, Ukitake." The surprisingly strong voice of the Captain-Commander spoke up as he got back up to his feet. "I was ready to counter the moment Kurosaki Ichigo's blade would've reached my back; your help is neither needed nor desired. Return to your own battle, you should've used the chance you created to finish off your opponent!" Yamamoto stated accusatively.

"Y-yes, sir!" Ukitake answered, slightly put down, before he vanished with the use of _Shunpo_.

The moment Ichigo and Yamamoto were alone again the former had to admit to himself that he grew slightly uneasy at having to resume his battle. It was obvious that the Captain-Commander had taken a tremendous amount of damage from his attack. His entire upper body was covered with large burn marks, many of which were going to leave scars for years. Large gashes could be seen on some other places on his torso and arms where Ichigo's _Getsuga_ had seemingly penetrated the actual skin, most likely because of the force from behind him pushing forward with both immense speed and power. Ichigo had yet to closely study the man's back, but he knew that whatever he would find there would be even worse.

Nonetheless, the way in which this old man had stood up as if his wounds were non existent. It was unreal; it was unlike anything Ichigo had ever seen. He had personally experienced what it was like to be covered in burns from head to toe not too long ago, the pain had been excruciating. This Shinigami, Yamamoto-Genryuusai Shigekuni, he was not just an arrogant, powerful, high-ranked Shinigami. It became clear to Ichigo now that he truly was the Shinigami among Shinigami. Years of experience, years of combat, years of inflicting pain and death but above that perhaps centuries of receiving pain as well. This man had gotten so used to injuries that the pain itself was no longer an obstacle, it appeared.

Ichigo locked eyes with the man's narrowed gaze. He realized that, all of a sudden, he respected him.

Readying his battle stance once more, he prepared himself.

* * *

Rukia dodged another swipe at her midsection and attempted to retaliate only to be kicked in the stomach in return. Using his other arm, Rukia could clearly see Grimmjow attempting to slice at her, this time going for the throat. Her heart stopped for a second but before she had a chance to think of a plan, Grimmjow _Sonido_'d away. No more then a second later Renji's _Zabimaru_ crashed into the ground in front of her; she was only just in time to jump backwards, avoiding any damage.

Rukia could see Grimmjow's face contorting in anger at Renji. Clearly pissed off at the fact he was robbed of the chance to take out a second opponent. Charging upwards Rukia knew it was her turn to take on the offensive now. They'd been playing this game of defence and offence for a while now and it was infuriating Grimmjow to the point he started fighting like a maniac.

Rukia pointed her blade in the direction Grimmjow was headed, hoping Renji would be smart enough to expect her attack, which was indirectly coming at him as well.

"_Tsugi__no __Mai..__" _Rukia started, concentrating her reiatsu at the tip of her _Zanpakutou._

Before she got a chance to finish her attack however Grimmjow looked back down at her and smirked as he pointed his elbow at her and shot three projectiles at her. An Ability she had not yet seen before yet she was not eager to find out just how damaging it could be. Using _Shunpo_ she disappeared no more but a second before the three green 'darts' which mostly resembled unevenly cut stones impacted with her.

The explosion that followed however was one that she had not expected and she was quickly caught in the middle of it. She was propelled back into the desert sand and hit the ground with a faint thud. Her body ached all over.

Lying there, she looked back up to find that Renji had Zabimaru wrapped around his entire body, hoping his _Zanpakutou _could resist Grimmjow's fury. She needed to get up and help him now. Slowly but surely, a foot moved, and then another, until she finally managed to regain a standing position, albeit shakily.

Grimmjow, apparently arrogant enough to believe she would remain down much longer had not even noticed her. So she pointed her hand at him and silently started chanting yet again.

It was then that Grimmjow finally noticed her. He could clearly see her hand pointed at him and deciding she was a more imminent threat he sped at her again.

It was too late.

Opening her eyes, she shouted out; "_Bakudou #79 – Kuyou Shibari_!"

_("Binding Spell #79 – Nine Sunlight Traps!)_

Nine black holes with purple outlining appeared and sped towards Grimmjow who instantly tried to dodge them. He succeeded except for the fact that a single one of them attached itself to his chest. Attempting to pull it off he quickly realized that this wasn't possible and before he got a chance to destroy the remaining ones they had him surrounded and he realized he couldn't move anymore.

When he looked up a feral roar escaped his mouth as he noticed _Hihio__Zabimaru_ was already circling around him.

"Now Renji, this is our chance!" Rukia shouted, still chanting yet another Kidou spell.

Renji grinned as he replied, "You bet! Take this!"

"_Higa Zekkou!" Renji shouted._

Instantly _Zabimaru__'_s segments disconnected and fell to the ground. The red reiatsu that was keeping them together taking on a dagger like form and pointing itself at Grimmjow before finally slamming itself into his body.

"_Hadou__#63__ – __Raikouhou!__" _Rukia shouted as her _Bakudou_ was dispelled by Renji's attack. Grimmjow bent over in pain, clutching his bleeding body as best as he could.

A giant ball of condensed yellow energy that was present in Rukia's hand was fired at Grimmjow as it turned into a giant beam of what most resembled thunder. Grimmjow's eyes widened when he saw the attack while still trying to recover from Renji's previous attack.

He stumbled once, twice, trying to get away. In the end, it was futile and he was consumed by Rukia's perfectly executed Kidou attack.

A large thud several yards away from her indicated Grimmjow had dropped to the ground. Looking over, she saw his smoking unconscious form lying there, covered in burns from head to toe. His entire body, bloodied and beaten, if she had to guess she was certain Renji's attack had easily caused the most damage. But in the end her final attack had been the last drop of water that made him lose consciousness. It was a very real possibility that he would not live to see another day, no mortal sustained these kind of injuries and lived to tell the tale without professional medical attention.

"Yo!"

Looking up she saw Renji standing right in front of her, his Bankai resealed and his _Zanpakutou_ held over his shoulder in a true 'Renji pose'.

Dropping her stoic face she allowed herself to smirk at him. "I guess we make a pretty good team after all, don't we?"

Renji smirked back at her. "Nah, you just let me do all the work while you shout and scream. 'Help! Oh dear help me! Renji please! Help me now!'"

Her face twitched. Narrowing her gaze at Renji who was still imitating silly poses of a damsel in distress she spoke up. "What, did you just say?"

Her voice was so hateful Renji immediately dropped the act and looked back at her. Seeing her facial expression he immediately jumped back. "No, no I didn't mean it like that!" He shouted, swinging his arms and his _Zanpakutou_ in front of his body as if to defend himself from the raven-haired midget that was slowly but surely approaching him. "Oh come on Rukia! You've known me longer then this, you know I was kidding!" He continued.

Rukia started chanting loudly.

"Okay okay! It's completely thanks to you that we won, I'm sorry Rukia please!"

She continued.

"Rukia! Come on, you know I suck at Kidou, let's be fair about this!"

Rukia was about to finish her chant when she noticed an immense amount of reiatsu right next to them. Instantly turning on her feet she came face to face with a furious looking Grimmjow, still as bloodied as ever, a bright blue ball of reiatsu was charging in the palm of his hand and was pointed right at the two of them.

"Are you done playing now, Shinigami!" Grimmjow roared. Take this, "_Gran__Rey__Cero!__"_

Her vision went completely blind, covered by only blue. She felt something being wrapped around her and soon after she violently hit the ground. Her back hit something hard and edgy but other then that she did not understand why there wasn't any more pain, nor could she clarify the sudden weight on top of her.

Seconds later, the inferno of blue passed away and she felt she could open her eyes again. Opening them, the sight that greeted her caused her heart to stop.

Renji was motionlessly lying on top of her body, his eyes closed. Rukia panicked and quickly pushed Renji off of her. Completely ignoring Grimmjow she started stomping on his chest.

"Renji!" She almost cried out. "Renji, wake up! You idiot, why did you do that, why?"

Tears started leaking from her eyes when she got no response. Desperately grabbing his _Shihakusyou_ she shook his body up and down, hoping on at least some sort of response. She was startled even further when instead of shaking him up and down she tore off the upper part of his _Shihakusyou_entirely, indicating that there had been no fabric left at all on his back.

"Tch," Grimmjow's voice rang out. "Pathetic. You call yourself a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen? Tell me something little girl, are all Captains as soft and weak as you are?"

Anger filled her very being. This was the person responsible for Renji's state. Her eyes narrowed as she met his gaze. Gone was her pity for the man that had been so severely wounded minutes ago that he was still having trouble standing on his feet.

She rose and unsheathed her _Zanpakutou_.

"Weak?" Rukia asked him. "You took down my very best friend with a cheap shot. Call me weak if you want but the truth remains unchanged. The truth remains that I've been holding back this entire battle in order to push myself to my limits. I never wanted to use this against a mere number Seven." She stated causing Grimmjow's face to contort in fury once more, he wanted to shout something but Rukia cut him off.

"Yet considering your actions during the last few minutes, you leave me no choice. I will show you the true power of a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen." Rukia stated, looking Grimmjow in the eye. She felt no fear, not anymore, she was determined to go the extra mile and she knew full well now that she could completely pulverize her opponent.

Holding her blade vertically in front of her, she dropped it. When the tip reach the ground a square yard around the impact turned to ice and her _Zanpakutou_ fell straight through it.

"_Bankai__…"_

The moment these words were spoken Grimmjow was blinded by a flashing white light. The entire landscape around him froze to ice and small mountains rose up out of the ground. The very earth beneath him was shaking as the sky started weeping small shards of ice. His first instinct was to dodge them but he quickly realized that while they were annoying they were completely harmless. The light slowly died before it intensified one more time.

He could vaguely make out the figure of the Shinigami Captain that he knew was their former prisoner, Kuchiki Rukia. It was clear that her form, while still small, had changed somewhat.

"…_Tennin __no __Shirayuki__"__[1]_

When Grimmjow finally laid eyes upon Rukia's final form his eyes widened ever so slightly.

* * *

[1] **Bankai, Tennin no Shirayuki:**

_Final Release, Heavenly Being of the White Snow._

**A/N: **Overall I'm fairly satisfied with this chapter. Pulled an allnighter last night to make it's release somewhat quicker. Expect the next one no sooner then a week from now and probably within three weeks as well. Chances are chapter length of the next one may also be significantly longer.


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